The Titan's Curse Rewrite
by djrocks
Summary: 3rd installment of the Jackson Rewrite series. Percy and Cammie are on their way to go help their friend Grover pick up two powerful demigods whose parentage is unknown, but something...something goes horribly wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**Titan's Curse Rewrite**

**Cammie's starting this one off, friends :) **

THE RESCURE OPERATION GOES DRASTICLY WRONG

Winter break had just begun. Christmas was next week. And already, something dangerous to do. Mom packed Percy and I an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took us to a new boarding school. We picked up our friends Annabeth and Thalia on the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Main. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy and I hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much. Except for mom. She talks _more _when she's nervous. By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" mom asked.

I just smiled at her. "No, that's fine. We don't know how long it's going to take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried Cammie."

It was endearing, really. At least for me. Living at Gallagher for most of the year, I didn't get to see my mom fret over me. It was nice.

Percy leaned over. "We'll be fine, mom."

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep them out of trouble."

My mom seemed to relax a bit. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod to hit eight grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps us from getting killed. She's right, of course. But she wasn't the only one doing the saving.

"All right, dears," mom said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on guys."

Regret flashed in Percy's eyes, and I could feel how sorry he was about that, but he just jump out. Annabeth and Thalia thanked mom one more time before following. I leaned forward from the back seat, and grabbed her hand.

"I've got some ambrosia and nectar in my bag, and a few drachmas in my pocket," I told her. "Percy's the same. We know the number by heart, and I packed Percy some wooly socks. You know how he gets when his feet are cold."

Mom squeezed my hand, and gave me a teary smile.

"You'll watch out for your brother?" she asked.

"You know I don't trust anyone to watch him as closely as I do." I studied her a few beats longer. "He understands you're just worried. He's just a little embarrassed."

She smiled. "Too many baby stories?"

"Just maybe. It's kind of humiliating being a big bad hero of Olympus who needs his mom to drive him to his battles."

"How else were you going to get here?"

"Well there were several ways, this is just the most legal one. He'll get over it. In fact, I think he already is." I leaned forward and kissed my mother on her cheek. "Love you."

I grabbed my pack and got out, joining the others. The wind blew hard. Once mom's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," he admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

I stomped on his foot, cutting off any mom stupid from exiting his mouth. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chin jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave Percy now was perfect evil "ten". "Thanks, Sweetheart," Thalia said to me. "Stomp some sense into that brother of yours. If that was any of his business—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked at the castle and shiver. "You're right. Wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

I stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good, I suspect." I loop my arm through Percy's, and start pulling him toward the school.

_Just so you know, _I told him through our mind bond. _I stomped on your foot mostly for the way you treated mom._

He hung his head a bit. _I know._

_Just as long as you're aware._

"How are you not shivering?" Annabeth asked, wrapping her arms tighter around her.

"My jacket works like a sort of windbreaker," I told her, zipping it up. "Don't get me wrong, I'm freezing. But the wind's not hitting me like it is you."

"It's a nice jacket," Thalia said. "Where'd you get it?"

"Christmas present from my roommate Bex. It's a spy jacket." I dusted the snow off the sleeve proudly.

"A Christmas present?" Thalia asked. "It's not even Christmas yet."

"Gallagher gives us a month off for winter break. They like us to spend as much time with our families as we can, especially during the holidays. When Grover asked for help, we opened our gifts up early.

"Do I even want to know what it does?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, most defiantly!" I gushed. "The pockets have these little catches in the fabric, which opens up to secret pockets. It's got a GPS in the secret right pocket. Paper thin, water proof, indestructible! In the left hand secret pocket, there are napotine patches—basically you slap one of these bad-boys on someone and they pass out—and—and emergency duct tape! And a thing of super strong, super thin rope. And then, in the bottom lining of the jacket in the back, there are lock picking tools, and a tiny tinny gasmask in the collar. Behind the label, there's a compartment with over fifty different types of currency. Who knows what else there is to it." I smiled broadly, almost shaking with excitement. "I haven't even figured out all the perks!"

"Okay, calm down, Cam," Percy laughed. "Don't explode."

"That's awesome," Thalia said in awe. "Where can I get one of those?"

"Langley maybe?" I teased. "But I got something just as cool from my other roommate, Liz."

I pulled a pair of black rimmed glasses out of my pocket, and handed them over to Annabeth. "Take a look at that sign over there."

She did so uncertainly. Watching her eyes light up in total amazement was probably the coolest thing I'd seen all day.

"H-how," she gasped.

"That's the fun side to having a genius as a roommate."

Thalia took them from her and looked for herself. "No. Way. How is this even possible?"

I shrugged, taking them back, putting them on myself. "Liz is a prodigy. She knows about my dyslexia, and how the only language I can read is Greek, so she created a device that can translate about fourteen of the most common languages to Greek. Somehow, she's transferred that tech into these glasses."

"I'm going to Gallagher," Annabeth states factually.

I smirk. "It's a bundle of trouble just waiting to explode," I told her. "You'd fit right in."

The oak doors groaned open, and the four of us stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

"Whoa," Percy huffed.

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff.

"I mean, I know Westover is a military school," Percy said. "But the decorations seem a bit overkill. Literally."

I shrugged. "Kind of looks like Gallagher, just not as classy." Percy gave me a bizarre look, and I just shrugged. "You know what type of school it is. Don't look so surprised."

Still, I kept my hand near my necklace, where my nameless sword lay in its hiding form. Percy's hand reached in his pocket for Riptide, and Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet, her favorite magic item. There was something off about this place. A fight was coming.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—"

The doors slammed shut behind us.

"Oo-kay," Percy mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

I smirked at him. "What? Not up for a little _education?_"

He elbowed me softly. Music echoed for the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music.

We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. We hadn't gone very far when I heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us.

They both had short gray hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy mustache, and the guy was clean-shaven. Slightly backwards. They both walked stiffly, like they had broomsticks taped to their spines. I had seen several teachers walk just like them at Gallagher. Though most of them had grace in their step.

"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

The others fumbled slightly. I smiled the charming and polite smile Madam Dabney had taught us girls back at school. The key was to remain calm and unflustered while lying your butts off about sneaking into a school you didn't even go to. "Ma'am, we're just—"

"Ha!" the man snapped, which irritated me. He didn't even give me a chance to lie. How was I going to practice practical use of lying when this man doesn't even let me get a full sentence out? "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be _eee-jected!"_

He had an accent—French. But it didn't really fit. Everything about him seemed…not completely normal. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard to not stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors—one brown, one blue—like an alley cat's. And while looks do not determine what kind of person you are, it's the little things about you that can give you away. Like little marks on your skin, scuffs on your shoes, dusty marks on your clothing, calluses on your hands. Even your fingernails and teeth can tell someone with a trained eye what sort of person you are. And this man was a little too clean cut and neatly sorted. Not a mark nor a nick on his person. His teeth were a dentists dream, his clothes passed any generals inspection, and his hands were without a single buildup of skin. He was so perfect, it was like he wasn't even human at all.

I figured he was about to throw us out into the snow, and was going to lay on some thick charm, just as Madam Dabney taught us, when Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird.

She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a gust of wind ripple out form her hand, across the room. It washed over all of us, making the banners rustle on the wall.

"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," Thalia said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth, Percy and Cameron. We're in the eighth grade."

The male teacher narrowed his two-colored eyes. I didn't know what Thalia was thinking. Now we'd probably get punished for lying _and _thrown in the snow. But the man seemed to hesitate.

He looked at his colleague. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

I could hear Percy giggling in my mind. _Got Chalk? _He laughed.

_Not now!_

_I'm sorry, it's just…Got Chalk?_

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I…yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at us. "Annabeth. Thalia. Percy, Cameron. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"

Before we could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. "You made it! You—"

He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

"What _is _it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made…the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"

Dr. Thorn glared at us. He looked like he wanted to pitch us off the castle's highest tower, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"

We didn't want to be told twice. We left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, just because it seemed like the right thing to do.

Grover hustled us down the all in the direction of the music.

I could feel the teachers' eyes on my back, but I walked closely to Thalia and asked in a low voice, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"

"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"

Uh, no? Chiron was our head trainer at camp, but he'd never shown me or Percy anything like that. Why had he shown Thalia and not us?

Grover hurried us to a door that had GYM written on the glass. I still had my glasses on, so I could read it perfectly. I liked that.

"That was close!" Grover said. "Thank gods you got here!"

Us girls all hugged Grover. Percy gave him some kind of bro-five or whatever males do.

It was good to see him after so long. He'd gotten taller, and a few more whiskers were poking out of his chin, but otherwise, he was the same old goat passing for a human—a red cap on his curly brown hair to hid his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hid his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that said WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. I wasn't sure if that was, like, Grover's rank, or maybe just the school motto.

"So what's the emergency?" Percy asked.

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

"Half-Bloods?" I asked, amazed. "Here?"

Grover nodded.

I whistled, impressed. Finding one half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. We needed all the new fighters we could find. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.

"A brother and a sister," he said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

"Monsters," Thalia asked.

"One." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't just let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try and get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"

Grover looked at Thalia desperately. I tried not to be too peeved at that. But it used to be that Grover looked to Percy and I for answers. Hello? Last summer ringing any bells? But I suppose Thalia had seniority. Not just because her daddy was Zeus. She was more experienced than any of us with fending off monsters in the real world. Still, not a cool feeling.

"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster?"

"Oh," Grover said, and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

I snapped my fingers. "Knew it!"

Percy gave me a mocking pat on the back. "Congratulations."

Weird thing about military schools, or any school with stick dress codes really: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. You should see the girls at Gallagher when we have special events or get to go out into town. More than enough times has Bex scaled me with an iron trying to straighten my hair, and Liz almost poking my eyes out with a mascara wand. I guess it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.

There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like the torture devices I'd seen in Tina's closet. Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face. Some of the older guys looked more like…well, Percy—uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. Of course, in our case, it was true…

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of trading cards. His sister seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.

"Annabeth said, "Do they…I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

He looked at Percy and I, and we nodded. I'd never completely understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, but I knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.

"So let's grab them and get out of here," Percy said.

We started forward, but Thalia put her hand on my shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction. His blue eye seemed to glow.

Judging from his expression, I guess thorn hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who we were. He was just waiting to see why we were here.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?"

"We're four powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That's so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"

"Green who?"

"Never mind. Let's dance."

"But I can't dance!"

"You can if I'm leading," Thalia said. "Come on, goat boy."

Grover yelped as Thalia grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor.

Annabeth smiled.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."

Annabeth had beat Percy in height since last summer. It was kind of funny watching Percy squirm in discomfort at the thought. She used to wear no jewelry except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her log blond hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older.

"So…" Percy said awkwardly. "Design any good buildings lately?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up, the way they always did when she talked about architecture. "Oh my gods, Percy. At my new school, I get to take 3-D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program…"

She went on to explain how she'd designed this huge monument that she wanted to build at Ground Zero in Manhattan. She talked about structural supports and facades and stuff. She wanted to be a super architect when she grew up—she loves math and historical buildings and all that. She reminds me of Liz a lot of the time, just with more butt-kicking, and hiding knives in her sleeves. Liz is more of a chemical warfare kind of gall.

I smirked to myself. This was cute. This was so unbelievably cute. Watching Percy try to look like he understood what she was saying. And I knew he was trying really hard, but there's only so much a Percy brain can understand. Still, watching the two of them was like watching your favorite couple on TV. I ship them, I really do.

"Yeah, uh, cool," Percy said. "So you're staying there the rest of the year, huh?"

Her face got dark. "Well, maybe, if I don't—"

"Hey!" Thalia called to us. She was slow dancing with Grover, who was tripping all over himself, kicking Thalia in the shins, and looking like he wanted to die.

"Dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered. "You look stupid just standing there."

Percy looked nervously at both me and Annabeth, then at the groups of girls who were roaming the gym.

"Well?" Annabeth said.

"Um, who should I ask?"

Annabeth's fidgeted slightly. "You're standing with two _girls._"

"Oh…right…"

The moment Percy started reaching for me, I spun away, gallivanting off. "Good thing I have my dancing shoes on," I sang. "I'm off to go find a boy. Tootles, you two!"

"W-wait, what!? No, no, no, no! You are _not _asking some boy to dance! You understand?" Percy yelled after me. "No boy is going to put his hands on my little sister! I'll kill them before they do that!"

"Keep an eye on him for me, won't you, Annabeth," I asked sweetly, literally skipping off, humming a tune under my breath. I skimmed the crowds before spotting a boy with ginger hair and a pair of thick wire rimmed glasses standing all by himself. He seemed to stop breathing as I ran up to him and asked, "Hey, would you mind if I danced with you for a bit?"

He stuttered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "M-me?"

I nodded. "Yeah, would you mind?"

He shook his head, his face turning madly red. "I-if you want t-to, that's f-fine?" He made it sound like a question.

"Cool, thanks."

We started dancing. He was actually a fantastic dancer. Didn't stumble or anything, and he didn't hold my hands in a death grip either.

"So what's your name?" I asked.

"Flinn," he said.

"I'm Cammie," I told him. "You're a very good dance, Flinn."

He smiled, almost proudly. "T-thanks."

We danced for a bit longer, mostly in silence. And then I did that really not okay thing that little siblings with twin telepathy do sometimes when they want to see how badly their big brother is screwing up with the girl. I sort of tapped into his mind.

"What were you saying earlier?" Percy asked. "Are you having trouble at school or something?"

Though Percy's eyes, I saw her purse her lips. "It's not that. It's my dad."

I tried to keep my face free of scowls for old Flinn's sake. I knew Annabeth had a rocky relationship with her father.

"I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?" Percy inquired.

Annabeth sighed. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War 1 book. In _San Francisco."_

She said this the same way she might say _Fields of Punishment _or _Hades' gym shorts._

"Are you sure this is okay?" Flinn's voice asked. My sight snapped back to my own.

I smiled at him quizzically. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He looked over at Percy, almost in fear. "He was yelling something before…"

I stifled a laugh, though by the look on his face, not well enough. "Don't worry," I told him. "I'll protect you."

I heard Percy once again. "So he wants you to move out there with him?"

"To the other side of the country," she said miserably. "And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that."

"What? Why not?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You know. It's right _there._"

"Oh," Percy said. _Do you know what she's talking about? _He asked me.

_Not a clue. _I was too curious now to feel embarrassed at being caught.

"So…you'll go back to living at camp or what?" Percy asked.

"It's more serious than that, Percy. I…I probably should tell you something."

She froze, suddenly. "They're gone."

With my own eyes to look over at the bleachers. And sure enough, the di Angelos were gone. As was Dr. Thorn. Which was just wonderful.

I faintly heard something through the bond about finding Thalia and Grover. I stopped spinning with Flinn, and dropped his hands. "Thank you for the dance," I said. "You were a wonderful dancer. Keep dancing like that and all the girls will being lining up for you." And with that, I ran off to my brother's side.

He was being mobbed by a group of girls. I took a fraction of a second enjoying the humor of it before coming to his rescue. "Okay, get along, keep moving!" I yelled, pushing the girls away. "He doesn't have time for your games. He has hero stuff to do."

Once all the girls were gone, and Percy was free from their grips, we started to move for our friends. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"Not a problem," I said, looking around. "Where did they go off to?"

Percy tapped my shoulder. "Cam…"

He pointed to something about fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor. It was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then I caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens.

I still couldn't find any of our friends anywhere. Growling in frustration, I pulled Percy towards where I'd seen Dr. Thorn go out.

"We need to find the others," my brother said.

"Those kids need our help _now,_" I said. "We don't have time to wait for them."

Percy stared at me, debating it himself, before nodding and pulling out Riptide. "Let's go."

The door led into a dark hallway. I heard the sound of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. I pulled at my necklace, transforming it into its true form: a bronze Greek sword, about three feet long, the names of all its owners carved into its surface. Percy uncapped Riptide, creating his own Greek sword with leather grip. Together, the blades cast a golden light on the rows of lockers.

We jogged down the corridor, but when we got to the other end, no one was there. Percy opened a door and we found ourselves back in the main entry hall. We had gotten completely turned around somehow. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at us.

We advanced slowly on them, lowing our weapons. "It's okay," I said. "We're here to help you."

They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of our two swords and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.

"My name's Percy," my brother said. "We're going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did I realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of us. She was trying to warn us.

I whirled around, immediately jumping back. "Percy, get back—"

Something went _WHIISH! _Percy shouted out in pain, slamming back into the wall.

"Percy!" I screamed, running to grab him.

A cold laugh echoed through the hall.

"Yes, Perseus _Jackson,_" Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the _J_ of our last name. "I know who you are." He spared me a glance. "And you must be that annoying brat of a little sister, Cameron _Jackson_."

I tried pulling the foot-long, black dagger-like projectile out of my brother's shoulder, glowering at the monster. "I'm going to kill you," I hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm going to fu—"

"Uh, uh, uh!" Dr. Thorn scolded, moving toward us. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of our swords. "No cussing." He chuckled slightly. "Thank you for coming out of the gym. I hate middle school dances."

I raised my sword and made a move towards him.

_WHIIIISH! _A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.

Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.

"All four of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently."

I scoffed. "Quiet and obedient are not traits I hold in my list of character traits, buster."

"Then learn quickly, Cameron. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

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**WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOP! FIRST CHAPTER GUYS! ARE YOU EXCITED, I'M EXCITED! THIS IS HAPPENING, THIS IS A THING! THIRD TIME AROUND YOU'D THINK I'D BE LESS EXCITED, BUT I'M NOT! IT'S BEGUN, MY PEOPLE. IT HAS BEGUN. TITAN'S CURSE HAS BEGUN. DANG. FORGOT TO TURN OFF CAPS LOCK. OH WELL.**

**Okay, caps lock off. No fun. So I've gotten about three chapter written out already, but I'm going to continue with my weekly upload schedule. This will hopefully give me time to write out other chapters without freaking out, and help me to not relapse into that horrible lack of updating that I did during the last fic. So yeah…See you in a week, I guess.**

**And if you've read the one shot Christmas special and it doesn't match up with the story, I've had to go back and fix that, so it did...so yeah, thanks guys, love ya.**

**Tootles, my nerdletts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoa! Early update because you guys were so awesome and because I'm super excited!**

**All I have to say before we begin is I'm sorry.**

**I'm so, so sorry.**

* * *

THE VICE PRINCIPAL GETS A MISSLE LAUNCHER

(**Percy's Pov.)**

I didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast.

Cammie was holding onto me desperately, checking my wound. "Percy," she fussed. "Percy, how badly does it hurt? Are you feeling dizzy? Does it burn? Talk to me."

"It burns," I admitted._ I'm not hurt too bad, _I told her. _I'm just trying to buy us some time for help to get here. Try getting Grover's attention._

_Smart plan. I knew you were related to me somehow. I just couldn't find the resemblance. _

"Keep moving," Dr. Thorn hissed.

Cammie whipped her head around to no doubt glare at him. "You literally just punctured his shoulder with a flying projectile! Give him a moment! He. Is. Hurt!"

"Good thing his dear twin sister is here to help him along. My poison causes pain, but it does not kill. Now get him moving!"

Thorn herded us outside, and I tried to concentrate. I pictured Grover's face. I focused on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between the three of us. He'd sent us visions in our dreams to let us know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, we were still linked, but I'd never tried to contact Grover before. I didn't even know if it would work while Grover was awake.

_Hey, Grover! _I thought. _Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!_

Thorn marched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a Percysicle.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all. Well, I guess I sort of know how little siblings are when it comes to their big siblings.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but I forced myself keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive. All while Cammie kept shotguning insults and rude remarks at the monster. Not that that surprised me in the least bit. Meanwhile, I projected my thoughts like crazy—anything to get Grover's attention: _Grover! Apples! Tin cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring some heavily armed friends!_

"Halt," Thorn said.

The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I _sensed _the sea down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness.

Dr. Thorn pushed us towards the edge. If it hadn't been for Cammie's arms gripping me, I would have fallen.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Mom would kill me if I brought you home in pieces," she teased blandly.

Bianca gripped onto Cammie's arm, pulling herself in close. "What _is _he?" she whispered. "How do we fight him?"

Cam and I shared a look before giving the girl a sympathetic look. "We're working on that," Cammie said, placing a free hand on her shoulder. "Just don't get too worked up, okay? You need to keep a clear head."

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier of some kind.

"I don't blame you, kid."

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

We turned.

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first I thought it was a switchblade, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy—a monster using a cell phone.

Cammie tisked. "Monsters get cell phones now? Next thing you know they'll have Facebooks and Twitters."

I glanced behind me, wondering how far the drop was.

_You have any clue? _I asked Cammie.

_Very, very far down?_

_Helpful. I thought they taught you this stuff at spy school._

_Rarely does a spy in my field need to know how tall a cliff is, other then really really tall._

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Children of Poseidon. _Jump! _There is the sea. Save yourselves."

Cammie pulled Bianca into her side. "We'll gladly just leave if you'd get your ugly lifeform out of the way."

Thorn just shook his head.

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"We'll explain later," I said.

"You do have a plan, right?"

"We had a _sort of _plan," Cam murmured, mostly to herself.

_Grover! _I thought desperately. _Come to us!_

_We might just have to jump, _Cam told me. _It's not ideal, but it's better than dying at this guy's hands._

It was an okay plan. If we survived the fall, Cam and I could use the water to protect us. We've done things like that before. If our dad was in a good mood, and listening, he might help. Maybe.

_Let's maybe **not**_ _count on the absent father for help, _Cam suggested.

"I would kill you before you ever reach the water," Dr. Thorn said, as if reading my thoughts. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to me that it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible…almost like a tail.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

Cammie squeezed her into a little side hug, silently giving her strength.

"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," I said. "You work for Luke."

Cammie scoffed. "He's not exactly ideal family material, if you know what I mean. He's kind of trying to kill everyone in his family."

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when I said the name of our old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill us several times. "Just the ones who don't agree with him. You have no idea what is happening, Jacksons. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" Cam asked with the most perfect French accent. "Who's that?"

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

We turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.

"Where are you taking us?" Nico asked.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well…there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while we tried to figure out a plan.

"The Stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Okay," Bianca whispered to Cammie. "He's completely nuts."

Cammie shrugged. "Sadly not completely."

"We have to jump off the cliff," I whispered to them quietly. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."

I never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into me.

* * *

Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos, Cammie and me, knocking us to the ground. For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.

If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have been never truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modeled after one of her dad Zeus uses—also called Aegis—a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa molded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it.

Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.

Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"

I thought Dr. Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet.

The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind me, but I didn't dare look.

Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Thalia, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail—a leathery, scorpionlike tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. The missiles deflected off Aegis, but the force of their impact knocked Thalia down.

Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, not visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.

"Who _are _you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is _that?_"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

"Whaty-de-what- what?" Cammie asked. "Kid, I speak almost fourteen languages, and that didn't make a lick of sense."

"Well, in the game—"

"Not now guys," I said. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned toward us with a snarl.

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, I remember my own shield. I hit my wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal. The beautiful shield, a gift from our brother, was badly damaged. I wasn't sure it would even stop a second volley.

I heard a _thwack _and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud.

"Yield!" the monster roared.

"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster and for a second, I thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew into the other direction.

"No!" I ran out to help her. I parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest. I raised my shield over us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."

We were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. We had no chance.

Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.

* * *

The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of helicopter blades.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.

The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. I tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged my attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside.

"Percy!" Cammie called, still guarding the di Angelos.

"I'm good," I gasped.

Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest about fourteen, like me and Cam. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh wonderful."

I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her log dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.

_Whoa, _Cam said. _That was as cool as a cucumber. I like this chick already._

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference. It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the oldest girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire."

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manicore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" Cammie screamed, deploying her own shield-bracelet, and ran and jumped on the manticore as well, protecting the two of them.

The Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

Once the arrows stopped, Cam jumped off, and held a hand out to Annabeth to quickly help her down. But before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, wrapped an arm around my baby sister, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Cammie!" I yelled. "Annabeth! CAMMIE!"

I started to run after them, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a _snap-snap-snap_ from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.

The Hunters advanced on us.

The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.

"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Cammie! Annabeth!" I yelled. "You have to let us save them!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend and sister are beyond help."

"No, you don't understand," I said. I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of girls held me down. "You don't understand, that was my sister. My _sister._ If anyone could survive that and be okay, it would be her. I know my sister!"

_Percy! Percy!_

"Cammie!" I wailed out loud. "Cam, are you okay!?"

_I'm okay! We're okay! Just about to hit the water. We'll be fine, I'm pretty sure. Oh, gods, we'll be fine—_

Suddenly the connection cut out with a painful _snap! _A sharp pain stabbed its way through my head. I screamed out in pain.

"Percy!" Grover yelped, kneeling beside me.

"Let me go!" I demanded, tears of pain running down my face.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"Let me go! Who do you think you are!?"

Zoe stepped forward as if to smack me.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

* * *

**And so I just killed off Cammie, so this fic will no longer be a crossover and will be moving into the Percy Jackson section of this site. Rest in peace, Cammie Jackson. You will be missed.**

**…**

**I'm just messing with you! The fic is remaining in the crossover section. Cam's still dead though. Sorry.**


	3. Chapter 3

BIANCA DI ANGELO MAKES A CHOICE

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

After seeing Dr. Thorn turn into a monster and plummet off the edge of a cliff with Annabeth and my little sister, you can't exactly blame me for my reaction to hearing this twelve-year-old girl tell me she was the goddess Artemis. It was something really intelligent, like "Um…okay."

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so…you're so…wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth and Cammie are gone."

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who…who are you people?"

Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are _you_? Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still starting in awe at Artemis.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"

She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian…athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "this is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

As anxious as I felt about Annabeth and Cammie—all I wanted to do was go search for them—I couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. I remember what it was like for Cam and I when we learned we were demigods.

Thalia must've been feeling something similar, because the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well…Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like those two girls that fell."

Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth and Cameron," the goddess said. "They were both brave maidens. If they can be found, I shall find them."

"Then why won't you let us go look for them?" I asked.

"They are gone. Can't you sense it, son of Poseidon? You of all people? Can you feel your sister is gone? You yourself felt the connection between you break. Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

"No," I said. "She's not gone. The connection was broken for some other reason! It happened last summer, too. It was weakened—"

"Yes, _weakened," _the goddess said. "Not broken. Not like this, correct?"

"That means nothing," I said, though it lacked conviction.

"Percy," Thalia said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shook it off. "No! That was my sister and my best friend! To not look for something as small as that—"

"Twin bond is no small thing, Perseus," Artemis said. "It's special."

I had a feeling Artemis was right, that they were gone. That down there in the sea, I'd feel them. But all I wanted to do was jump off that cliff and search myself.

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains…Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in D.C.?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I _told _you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," I said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. I thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," I said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you'd like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico.

"Wait." Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoe said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

Thalia and Zoe glared at each other. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I could tell there was bad history between them. For some reason, they seriously hated each other.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guest's belonging from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while…as a favor to me?"

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.

Zoe gave Thalia one more evil look, then left to oversee things.

As soon as she was gone, Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so…Argh!"

"I'm with you," I said. "I don't trust—"

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on me furiously. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? What were you and Cammie thinking! There might have been two of you, but did you honestly think you could take on Dr. Thorn all by yourselves? You _knew _he was a monster!"

"I—"

"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. You're sister too! Did you think of that!?"

The shock of Thalia quickly turning her anger on me rolled off just as quickly at the mention of my missing sister. "You think the thought of my sister and my best friend hasn't crossed my mind at all in the last five minutes," I asked her in a flat, emotionless tone. It seemed to almost scare her, because she jolted, taking a step back. That only pushed me to keep talking. "My _sister, _Thalia, just as you said. You think I haven't already driven myself _insane _with the thought of what might have happened to her? To my best friend. Do you honestly think I haven't realized _every single _place I_ screwed up _as a big brother! Because I do! I know I failed her! I failed both of them!"

Thalia's gaze softened as she reached out to me. "Percy, I—"

I slapped her hand away. Literally slapped. The sound echoed around us, and I would have been afraid she was going to light me up had I not been so angry. "And I don't need you rubbing that in my face, because I am well aware of what a failure I am. Big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters! Keep them safe from everyone and everything. You wouldn't understand what it's like to lose your little sibling. You don't understand the pain."

When I turned back to look at her, the look on Thalia's face was one of sorrow and never ending pain. "I do understand," she whispered. "Percy, I'm sorry. I understand."

"No, you really don't," I hissed. "You've never felt what I'm feeling right now." My jaw clenched. I would have said more, had I not looked down and saw something navy blue laying in the snow at my feet. Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap.

I knelt down and picked it up. Both of them. I failed them both. But I knew what they we capable of. Cammie might have survived that fall. And she would never let Annabeth drown. She's do anything to save her, I knew that. Connection or not, she couldn't be dead.

"Cammie's alive," I whispered to myself, before looking up at Thalia. "Cammie's alive. And if she's alive, Annabeth's alive, because they're both to stubborn to be dead. And I believe in my little sister. She's alive."

I threw the baseball cap at Thalia, not even looking back as I marched off.

Cammie was alive. I knew that for a fact.

The Hunters set up their camp site in a matter of minutes. Seven large tents, all of silver silk, curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle, and a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, completely unafraid, but I decided I would stick close to the tents. Falcons watched us from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and I got the feeling they were on guard duty, too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess's will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling, so it was almost pleasant sitting by the fire.

Almost…except for the pain in my shoulder and the guilt weighing me down. Now that I was done shouting at Thalia, sadness replaced anger, and it felt even worse. At while angry I could make other people share my misery. Now it just sat and boiled inside of me. Alone. Not even a little voice inside my head could share the feeling with me.

Not only had I let my sister go, I had let my best friend as well.

Gods. What had Annabeth wanted to tell me in the gym? _Something serious, _she'd said. Now I might never find out. I thought about how we'd danced together for half a song, and my heart felt even heavier.

I watched Thalia pacing in the snow at the edge of camp, walking among the wolves without fear. She stopped and looked back at Westover Hall, which was now completely dark, looming on the hillside beyond the woods. I wondered what she was thinking.

Seven years ago, Thalia had been turned into a pine tree by her father, to prevent her from dying. She'd stood her ground against an army of monsters on top of Half-Blood Hill in order to give her friends Luke and Annabeth time to escape. She'd only been back as a human for a few months now, and once in a while she would stand so motionless you'd think she was still a tree.

Finally, one of the Hunters brought me mine and Cammie's backpacks. Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover helped me fix up my wounded arm.

"It's green!" Nico said with delight.

"Hold still," Grover told me. "Here, eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."

I winced as he dressed the wound, but the ambrosia helped. It tasted like homemade brownies, dissolved in my mouth and sending a warm feeling through my whole body. Between that and the magic salve Grover used, my shoulder felt better within a couple of minutes.

Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him, though how they'd snuck into Westover Hall unseen, I didn't know. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. I recognized Zeus with a lightning bold, Ares with a spear, Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," I said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that…" He knit his eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"I forget. That's weird."

He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. He started fiddling with his figurines again. While he was doing that, I started looking through Cammie's bag. She had a few notebooks in there, along with textbooks, a pair of MY wooly socks (what the heck, Cammie?), some ambrosia and nectar, and a few other random things. I pulled out a notebook and started glancing through it. It was all in Greek, so I could easily read it. She had drawn diagrams of some spy techniques, including even the smallest details.

"What's that?" Nico asked.

"My sister's school stuff," I told him.

He picked up one of Cammie's text books. "Uh, I'm dyslexic, what does this say?"

Grover peaked over at it. "One Hundred and Fifty Ways to Kill Using Everyday Objects." He looked over at me. "Sounds delightful."

Nico had a bizarre look on his face. "You're sister learns this in school?"

I shrugged. "It's kind of a spy school of sorts."

"So she's a demigod and a spy? She must have been so cool!"

Grover placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Uh, Nico…"

"It's okay," I said, before looking at the kid. "She'd be glad to meet someone who'd agree with her."

"Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"

I showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.

"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"

"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."

"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"

"Well, yeah."

"Can you surf really well, then?"

I looked at Grover, who was trying really hard not to laugh.

"Jeez, Nico," I said. "I've never really tried."

He went on asking questions. Did I fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (I didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.) If Cammie was really a spy, then why didn't she use her gadgets to save her and Annabeth? (Grover grabbed my arm just in case for that one.) Was Annabeth my girlfriend? (At this point, I was ready to stick the kid in a meat-flavored sack and throw him to the wolves.)

I figured any second he was going to ask me how many hit points I had, and I'd lose my cool completely, but then Zoe Nightshade came up to us.

"Percy Jackson."

She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. With her silver circlet and her proud expression, she looked so much like royalty that I had to resist the urge to sit up straight and say, "Yes, ma'am." She studied me distastefully, like I was a bag of dirty laundry she'd been sent to fetch.

"Come with me," she said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

Zoe led me to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved me inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who I still had trouble thinking of as Artemis.

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others I didn't recognize. I figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. I thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her, and then I realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.

"Join us, Percy Jackson," the goddess said.

I sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied me, which made me uncomfortable. She had such old eyes for a young girl.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh…a little."

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" I asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh."

Zoe sat down at Artemis's right. She glared at me as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was my fault, like I'd invented the idea of being a guy.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp…" She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the…mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

And so I told her.

When I was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" I asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at me intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

"No, no after that."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"

"Stirring," Bianca corrected.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.

"Maybe he was lying," I said.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As…as you wish my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" I asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" I asked, because I never really thought about that.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?"

"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay in safety until I return."

"_What?_" Zoe blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," I said. "Thinking about what?"

"They…They've invited me to join the Hunt."

"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. I's the only way you can learn to survive."

"It is _not _the only way for a girl," Zoe said.

I couldn't believe I was hearing this. "Bianca, camp is cool! It's got a Pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and…I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"

"To begin with," Zoe said, "immortality."

I stared at her, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"

"Zoe rarely kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal…unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."

"Sounds like a Gallagher Academy brochure," I murmured to myself.

Artemis nodded. "I've met them. Gilly Gallagher, a fine woman. Based her system on what I told her about our sisterhood. Some of my girls were even from there."

I don't know whether I was surprised or not.

"Okay, but what oath?" I asked.

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?"

The goddess nodded.

I tired to imagine what she was saying. Being immortal. Hanging out with only middle-school girls forever. I couldn't get my mind around it. "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—"

"Not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoe's eyes. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice."

"Bianca, this is crazy," I said. "What about your brother? Have you thought about that at all? Nico can't be a Hunter. "

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"Hey!" I protested.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. and you will have a new family. Us."

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

"You can't od this, Bianca," I pleaded. "You can't. Sure you can go see Nico from time to time, but what about when he grows old and dies? What then? You're leaving him alone. He will have no one. You can't treat him like baggage you can just drop."

Bianca flinched at my words, giving me a hurt glance. Turning away, she thought for a moment.

"Is it worth it?" she finally asked Zoe.

Zoe nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe told her, "'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis'."

"I…I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt'."

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts they pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel…stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

I couldn't speak. I felt like a trespasser. And a complete failure. I couldn't believe I'd come all this way and suffered so much only to lose Bianca to some eternal girls' club.

"Do not despair, Percy Jacksons," Artemis said. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Great," I said, trying not to sound surly.

"Percy Jackson," Artemis said. "I understand why this upsets you. But it is not your job to make sure every demigod goes to camp. You do not hold the responsibility of their fates on your shoulders. This was Bianca's choice." Her gaze deepened. "And the relationship Bianca has with her brother is not the same one you and Cammie shared."

I spun at that, shocked and pained.

"Not to disregard the relationship the two of you possessed." The goddess smiled. "It is truly beautiful, watching you two together. I've never seen twins so close since Castor and Pollux."

I didn't know exactly what to say to that. _"thanks, but my sister might be dead now?"_

I shook my head. Not dead. Can't be.

"Okay," I said. "how are we supposed to get to Camp."

Artemis closed her eyes. "Down is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoe didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of me. "I'm sorry, Percy. But I want this. I really, really do."

Then she was gone, and I was left alone with the twelve year-old goddess.

"So," I said glumly. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"

Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, you're are not the only one with a twin. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible brother, Apollo."

* * *

**So, I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get next week's chapter up on time, but I am going on a short trip and I'm not positive I'll be home in time or have internet. I'm pretty sure, but not positive. I'm 96% sure. Still worried about that 4% though. So you have 4% to worry about. Don't stress. Leave the stressing to me.**

**Till next week (hopefully) my nerdletts.**


	4. Chapter 4-Part One

THALIA TORCHES NEW ENGLAND

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.) (Again, sorry!) **

Artemis assured us that dawn was coming, but you could've fooled me. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. I wondered if the teachers eve noticed the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. I didn't want to be around when they did. With my luck, the only names Mrs. Gottscholk would remember was "Percy Jackson," and then I'd be the subject of a nationwide manhunt…again. And this time, Cammie wouldn't be able to help with the cover-up.

_Don't think about it._

Right. Not thinking about it.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. I stood shivering in the snow (unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable), and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to the side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that. At least when Cammie went to Gallagher she planned on coming back.

_Stop thinking about it. Seriously._

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around me, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience with the goddess. I wasn't too fond of the idea of speaking with Thalia, not after our fight. But I could see how sorry she was just by the looks she was giving me.

When I told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they ever show up here?" I wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca _joined _them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so…into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

* * *

Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" I asked.

"For my brother. Yes."

I didn't want to be rude. I mean, I knew the legends about Apollo—or sometimes Helios—driving a big sun chariot across the sky. But I also knew that the sun was really a star about a zillion miles away. I'd gotten used to some of the Greek myths being true, but still…I didn't see how Apollo could drive the sun.

"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading my mind.

"Oh, okay." I started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—"

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

_Parks?_

I averted my eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my winder coat felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died.

I looked. And I couldn't believe it. It was _my _car. Well, the car I wanted, anyway. A red convertible Maserati Spyder. It was so awesome it glowed. Then I realized it was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why I was no standing on green grass and my shoes were wet.

The driver got out, smiling. he looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, I had the uneasy feeling it was Luke, my old enemy. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," I said.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your _little _sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, _alone. _I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a _stop everything _gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"_Green grass breaks though snow._

_Artemis pleads for my help._

_I am so cool."_

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through his haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, _There once was a goddess from Sparta—"_

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "_I am so awesome. _That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked us out. "Let's see…Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at me, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean…yes, sir."

It seemed weird calling a teenager "sir," but I'd learned to be careful with immortals. They tended to get offended easily. Then they blew stuff up.

"You're pretty high up on the gossip chain. You and your sister. _Hey! _You're twins too! Both of us are the older brothers! How cool is that? Where is she anyway, your baby sis? Oww!" Suddenly, Apollo pitched forward, gripping his head. He looked back up at Artemis, a hurt look on his face. "What was that for!?"

Artemis said nothing, but a look of understanding crossed Apollo's face, and I knew for a fact they were having a conversation in their heads. The god glanced at me, and I saw a flicker of pity in his eyes.

Thalia placed a hand on my shoulder. I could feel everybody's eyes on me, and I think that's what I hated the most about all of this '_My-sister-and-my-best-friend-just-fell-off-a-cliff' _stuff. Everybody knew what had happened, and all I could feel were their eyes of pity. And that made it very hard to keep thinking of them as alive.

"Well!" Apollo said at last, breaking the silence. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

I looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. there were about twenty of us.

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. _Chirp, chirp._

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And do _not _call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

Apollo rolled his eyes, and turned to me. "Was your little sister ever like this? I swear, their just so stubborn." He suddenly gripped his head again, glaring at his sister.

"Go, Apollo!"

"Fine, fine! I'm going!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Thalia twisted me to look at her. Her eyes were troubled. "Are you okay, Percy?"

Before I could answer, Apollo interrupted from the bus. "So! Who wants to drive?" said, jingling his car keys.

* * *

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of us highly infectious males. Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with us, which seemed cold to me, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. it was pretty annoying at first, but I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chucked and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depeneds on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans _think _about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun…er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engiens, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human _dreams _about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

"Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He skimmed over me. "Too distraught." He focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect!"

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. but she still felt like she was twelve, and if you looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast _you _out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of us didn't join him.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. I had to read it backwards (which, for a dyslexic, really isn't that different then reading forward). I was pretty sure it said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're going to be a natural!"

* * *

I'll admit I was jealous. I couldn't wait to start driving. A couple of times that fall, my mom had taken me out to Montauk when the beach road was empty, and she'd let me try out her Mazda. Cammie was learning at Gallagher, and when she came back, mom gave her a go once. Only once. To be honest, I think she was trying to be hazardous on purpose.

_One more time, and I will knock you out!_

Anyway. I mean, yeah, that was a Japanese compact, and this was the sun chariot, but how different could it be?

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I fell back and crashed against something soft.

"Ow," Grover said.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

I managed to get to my feet. Looking out the window, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where we'd taken off.

"Thalia," I said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've _got _it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," I told her.

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Grover, who yelped.

"Other left," Apollo suggested.

I made the mistake of looking out of the window again. We were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah…" Apollo said, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to stay calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. I'd never seen her like this.

_Percy? Where…Where am I?_

I groaned. Of all times to start hallucinating about my sister, now was _defiantly _not the time. I knew it wasn't her, it didn't feel…_right._

_Get yourself together! You will figure out what happened to Cammie later. Maybe when you're not about to die. You're on a flying sun bus, and _Thalia _is driving! If you could even call it that._

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was me. Now we were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up he rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"

I saw what he was seeing. Down below us was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. As I watched, the snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

"Pull up!" I yelled.

There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and I held on this time. As we zoomed up, I could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. I could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control."

We were only a few hundred yards away now.

"Break," Apollo said.

"I can do this."

"BREAK!"

Thalia slammed her foot on the break, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe like with a huge _FLOOOOOOSH!_ Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.

The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

* * *

**So that's it! My trip got canceled and pushed back to next weekend. Only downside to that is that now my trip is from Wednesday to Monday. I most likely won't be taking my computer with me, so that probably means no update on Sunday. So I don't know if you guys want me to post before I leave Wednesday, or when I get back Monday—maybe Tuesday, if I forget. I'm just saying, if I post Wednesday, you'll have to wait a week and a half for the next update…so it's up to you guys! If I don't hear from you guys, I'll just post Monday so you won't have to wait so long. **

**But, yeah! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and see you guys soon! **

**And in reply to one of my guest reviewers, I'm particularly fond of the title Senor Nerd. It makes me feel important, but not _too _important. **

**So goodnight, my Nerdletts! **


	5. Chapter 4-Part Two

I MAKE SOME NEW "FRIENDS", OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT

**(Cammie's Pov.) (Finally!)**

* * *

My head was pounding. Actually, my everything was pounding. Though my head was the most noticeable. As I let it lull to the side, I groaned at the shot of pain that rain up my neck.

_Percy? Where…Where am I?_

"Hard fall?"

I shot up, grabbing at my necklace and pulling it out into its true form, pointing the shiny weapon at the voice. But I was pointing to a shadow. Without looking around, I realized I wasn't anywhere familiar. It was dark, only a lamp beside me gave the room any real illumination.

"There's no need to be frightened," the voice soothed. "I will not harm you."

"I've heard that before," I said, finding my voice to be raspy and difficult to understand. "Most of them were liars."

"You need some water."

"I'll just be off to go find some then."

"Don't bother." Then, a woman stepped out of the shadow. She smiled sweetly at me, and held out a glass. "Drink."

She was beautiful. Her hair was long and dark, and in the pour lighting, I couldn't tell if it was black or a deep brown. It was sort of wild and untamed in a neat and beautiful sort of way. It matched her dark storm cloud gray eyes beautifully. She wore a light gray Grecian style gown. It had a deep V-neck, and thin shoulder straps with some kind of silver embroidery. She wore a metal belt along her waist, and a watteau train falling from her shoulders, landing gracefully on the ground. It had open half sleeves, and the gown was so long, it gathered on the floor in a sort of puddle. I was honestly jealous of how well she pulled it off.

She took a step closer. "Cameron, please, drink."

I shook my head. "No way, lady. I'm not drinking any of your poison."

She shook her head. "No, no, this is not poisoned."

She made it sound like all the other drinks she had laying around were.

Slowly, she takes a sip herself. "See? Perfectly safe." She holds it out to me. "Drink."

It was stupid to even consider, but my throat hurt so badly, I couldn't resist. I couldn't sass with a dry throat. Letting my sword down, I took a small sip and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, I chugged it.

The woman laughed. "See. You're thirsty."

I nodded, putting the glass down. I took a look around now. I was in a large, but dark room. I was sitting on a lush red bed. Honestly, everything looked a bit too expensive for me to even be near it. There were no windows. Just a bed, a desk, and a dresser.

"Where am I?" I asked. "And who are you?"

The woman smiled kindly. Walking oh so very gracefully to my side, she sat beside me, pulling her legs up onto the bed behind her.

"I am Kapheira," she told me. "You're in my home."

"And where exactly is your home?" I asked.

She giggled. "You're a curious one. Just like your father."

At the mention of my dad, I instinctually scowled. This only made her giggle harder.

"Not much love between the two of you, huh?" she asked, almost hopefully.

"You could say that."

"Well," she said, grabbing my hands gently, "as for your question…all I'm going to say is it's not in your typical suburb household."

"What do you mean?"

She stood, and pulled me to my feet. "I'll show you. Come on."

I dug my heels into the ground. "Uh, wait just one second. The fact that you know my father means you must be something not mortal. So spit it out. What are you?"

"A nymph," she said immediately. "Now, come on. I want to show this to you."

She pulled me out of the room, which I allowed, mostly because I was in shock. A nymph? Why did a nymph have me sleeping in her home? It didn't make sense. Suddenly it hit me that she knew my name. I almost rolled my eyes on how sloppy I had become.

"How did you know my name?" I asked as she pulled me into a long corridor.

Again, she giggled. "You've pretty well known, Cameron. Daughter of Poseidon, accused of being a thief, found and retrieved the Golden Fleece. You're not some little ant like some other demigods. No, you're so much more special than them."

I could feel myself blushing. "I'm not that special. Just unlucky."

"Unlucky? Cameron, everyone knows your name! You're an up and coming legend."

"Well, I wasn't the only one—"

Kapheira waved a dismissive hand, almost looking bored at the thought of anyone else. We reached the end of the hallway, she opened a door to what looked to be a sort of indoor garden. There were stone statues of Greek monsters, some German World War One soldiers, and a few other very strange ones. The flowers were beautiful, all colorful and cheery. Blue cobble stone paths weaved their way between the plants, disappearing to who knows where. The light from the ceiling cast strangely onto the ground, as though its beams were dancing along the floor. In the middle of the room, there was a fountain. Kapheira led me towards it, and sat me down gently.

"Look up, Cameron," she said in a small excited voice.

I gave her a puzzled look before doing as I was told. When I realized what the deal was, I was so shocked, I fell into the fountain behind me.

Instead of sky outside the glass dome, there was water. Lots and lots of blue water.

"W-we're underwater," I gasped. "Your home is underwater!"

Kapheira laughed, holding out a hand to help me up. "Yes! Exciting isn't it!? I knew you'd enjoy this."

"T-that's amazing. I mean, you live underwater. I mean, you're a nymph, I'm not too surprised, but—wow! This…this is _cool!_" I turned to her. "How did I get here?"

She gave me a sad smile. "You fell into the water, Cameron. It was a long fall, but you would've been fine, if you hadn't fallen so fast in and hit your head. You were knocked out, and when I realized, I came in and got you. You would've been fine, I'm sure, but that dreadful monster wanted to take you somewhere. So I came and got you, before he could harm you."

It came back to me pretty quick after that. "I was with my brother and my friends. We went to go pick up some demigods. But there was Dr. Thorn…Annabeth jumped on him, and I grabbed for her…but we fell into the ocean." The sudden realization that Annabeth fell, too, put me into panic mode. "Annabeth! You came and got me, so you must have gotten Annabeth too."

Kapheira shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Cameron. Your friend was gone by the time I got you."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. "Bu-but…"

"I'm sure she's alright," Kapheira soothed, gripping my shoulders. "She was nowhere in sight when I arrived. Maybe she swam ashore."

"Yeah maybe…"

The nymph pulled me into her side. "Let's go get you some food. I'm sure you're starving."

"Actually, I think I should get back to my brother…"

"Nonsense. You need food. And then you can meet the others."

"Others…?"

"Of course!" she laughed, as though I was ridiculous. "There is more than just me in this big old house."

On the way out, I saw a statue of my father. I could only tell because of the trident. His head was knocked off.

* * *

Kapheira led me to the dining room, sitting me down at a long empty table. She told me to wait a moment while she went to go get some food. There were twelve seats at the table, not including the one I was sitting in. I was sitting at the head of the table, farthest from the door. everything I'd seen of Kapheira's home was beautiful and extravagant. This had to be my father's home. Why else would a nymph save my life? Even though interference wasn't allowed, I couldn't think of any other reason, except maybe she did it out of the kindness of her heart. Sure, she'd only proven to be exceedingly nice to me, but I wasn't one to trust good intentions from someone I had just met.

Kapheira came back with a burger and fries. She set them in front of me, and watched me dig in. "Good?" she asked.

I nodded. "Very."

Once I had finished my meal, I swiped my mouth clean with the back of my hand. "So, is my father here?" I asked.

Kapheira laughed. "No. Why would he be?"

"I thought maybe this was his palace or something…"

The nymph shook her head. "No, it's not. This is the home to the Telchine."

"And who are they?"

The door burst open then. Several men walked in, all sporting very similar facial structure. Narrow faces with short hook noses, though they weren't unattractive. Quite the opposite actually, they were freaking hot. Though much too old for me. The youngest looking about twenty-five, and the oldest about forty. There were nine total, all very tall, and very slim. So skinny you could cut yourself just touching them.

When they spotted me, they all froze. One man pushed to the front, and stared me down. He kind of looked like Adrien Brody, only angry looking.

"Boys," Kapheira said, standing and putting her hands on my shoulders. "This is Cameron."

Two of the men smiled at each other, while the rest looked uncertain. The Adrien Brody body double attempted to smooth out his glare.

"Kapheira," he said, his voice smooth and perfect. "I didn't know you were serious."

Kapheira moved towards the man, her hands stretched out in a plea. "Damon, please. We talked about this."

"Yeah, Damon," one of the smiling men said. "Lighten up. You'll make our guest feel unwelcome."

Damon didn't attempt to hide his glare from him. "It was a brief discussion. We made no final decision on the matter." He looked at me, as though I was gum on the bottom of his shoe.

Kapheira laid a hand on his chest. "Please. If things go wrong, I'll handle it."

"I know you will."

I cleared my throat, never being one to stay out of a conversation. "So, you're the Telchine?"

The men looked between each other. "Yes, that's us," the oldest said.

"Do you even know what that means?" Damon scoffed, folding his arms across his chest in a superior manner.

I shrugged, shaking my head.

He fixed me with another hateful look. "Of course not." Spinning on his heels, he stalked out of the dining room. "I'm going to go see Dexithea. Keep her out of trouble, Kapheira."

As the door slammed behind him, I muttered to myself, "Well isn't he just a ray of sunshine."

* * *

Kapheira gave me some alone time in the library after that. I highly suspected she was off to talk to Damon. I realized I didn't know any of their names, except of course his, until after she was gone, and I was surrounded by books.

I was slightly bothered by Damon's words. Not because he was being a class A jerk, but because I really had no clue what the Telchine were. I don't even remember reading something about them in the big book of myths Josh had gotten me.

A blush flashed across my cheeks at the thought of the son of Hermes. I'd been sneaking out to meet up with him more and more lately. Going into town wasn't enough. He was just so sweet, and so kind. My heart fluttered unsteadily at the mere thought of his floppy hair. I was constantly thinking about what I'd say to him next, choosing my words carefully, and examining them over and over. And then, finally when I did say them, they didn't seem like enough.

I shook my head. Time to stay focused on the task at hand. I could think about Josh's floppy hair some other time, in a more secure location. I felt safer thinking this was my father's castle. I might not have liked the guy, but I didn't think I'd be harmed in any way if it was. With Damon's 'warm welcome', I wanted to figure out exactly who I was with.

I bypassed all the fiction books, and went straight to references. They had a lot of books on Greek and Roman mythology. I guess technically these were history books. I found that most of them were in Ancient Greek, though they looked to be manufactured. Not going to question the oddity of the Greek world at the moment. For the books that were in English, or some other language, I pulled out the glasses Liz made me. Though it was kind of pointless. I looked through every single one, and met a dead end at most.

I was about ready to pull out all my hair, punch a vase, kick over a bookshelf, use every curse word in my extensive word bank, and strangle the next person who decided to come in. I was about ready to do exactly that when I slammed a very large book down. Going to the index, I quickly scanned all the words in T, finally striking gold.

"Page 305," I muttered to myself, flipping there as quickly as possible. "'Telchines. The children of Pontus and Gaia. Some stories say there were only nine of them. Others, more. They had flippers instead of hands, and dogs' heads, though they could change their shape and appearance at will. They lived near Rhodes, and were strong, magical creatures.'

"'They were entrusted by Rhea to bring up Poseidon. Kapheira, daughter of Oceanus, aided them with this task. Though in other stories, it was Zeus who they brought up, instead of Poseidon. They were skilled metal workers. The Telchines created both Poseidon's trident and Kronos' sickle."

I felt a knot rise in my throat at the mention of the king titan. A horrible thought occurred that maybe they worked for him.

"'These creatures were not kind. They were known as sea demons. They could produce poisonous substances, killing many living things. They eventually had to be destroyed by Zeus when they started using their magic for malignant purposes. They produced a mixture of Stygian water and sulfur, which killed animals and plants. Some stories say it was Zeus who killed them by striking them with a lightning bolt. Other that it was Poseidon, killing them with the very trident they gave to him.'"

I swallowed the knot. Yep, if anything, they probably want to kill me and serve my father my head on a silver platter. Nothing beats killing someone with the very thing they created. Great. Just great. A bunch of sea demons had me staying in their home. Things could not get any worse. On the bright side, Percy wasn't here.

The thought hit me a like a speeding freight train. Percy. Percy doesn't know where I am! I need to tell him. Warn him incase these things try using me as bait to lure him in as well! Percy, Percy!

Nothing seemed to be getting through. Maybe he was knocked out or something. That only worried me some more. Gods knows how good that boy is in a crisis alone. I wouldn't be surprised if he got his head stuck in a fence or something.

I ran a nervous hand through my hair. Sea demons. At least nine of them, and a nymph. All who probably hated me as much as they hated my father. And Percy wasn't picking up the phone. The fact that they haven't killed me yet meant they had much bigger plans for me. Gods, they're not going to torture me are they? What if they do? What am I going to do then? What if Percy never answers. What if they got him too and they use him against me? What if he's not answering because they've already —

I physically slap myself at that. No. No I was not going to think like that. Percy was fine, he just wasn't answering. Stuck in a fence. That had to be it. He might not be as smart as Annabeth, but he was a slippery bug, and killing him wouldn't be easy. At least I hoped.

I nearly started sobbing at the helplessness of it all. I was a good sword fighter. I was one of the top students in my class at Gallagher. But I wasn't good enough to take on nine sea demons and a nymph if they turned on me. Percy would never know if they killed me. I didn't know how to escape. I didn't know much of anything about them at this point.

The door creaked open, startling me.

"Cameron?" Kapheira's voice called to me. "Come here. We have much to discuss."

Like what flowers I'd like at my funeral?

* * *

I was sitting at the table again. This time, every seat was filled. The nine men were there, Kapheira to my left, along with two other women. One was middle aged with short curly brown hair that reached just under her chin. She smiled pleasantly at me, which really unnerved me, considering…well, she was associated with these guys. The other was a young girl, about my age, with long blond hair that reached her lower back. She looked bored, fingering the lacy table cloth. Her dark blue eyes met mine once, but she paid me no attention after that.

"Cameron," Kapheira said to me in that soft excited voice of hers. "We wanted to talk to you about something very important."

I felt my palms begin to sweat, and resisted the urge to rub them against my pant legs. "W-what?"

The other woman gently laughed. "You sound nervous, Sweetheart."

Damon gave me a hard stare. "She knows what we are now."

Kapheira gave a hearty laugh. "Haha, so that's what you were so invested in when I came to get you!"

One of the men with short blonde hair smirked. It looked sinister. "Oh, so she's scared of us now. Smart…"

Kapheira reached over and slapped him upside the head. "Enough, Lykos." She turned to me. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Cameron. We won't hurt you."

"Unless you deserve it," a long brown haired man chuckled.

If Kapheira could reach, I'm sure she'd slap him too.

"No one is going to hurt her," Kapheira snarled, her hand slapping the table in finality. She turned to me. "You understand that, right? We don't want to hurt you."

"But…It's just… well, I thought you'd hate me because my father killed you…" I mentally screamed at myself. This was stressful. This was not okay. They were going to kill me, and skin me, then feed me to the dog or something. Oh, wait, they were part dog. They were going to eat me. I'm supper. Maybe they'll serve me with a lemon glaze or something.

"So you did some extensive reading up on us," Damon asked.

"Actually, I could only find you in one book," I said, trying not to sweat too much. "There wasn't much on you."

"Yeah, no one wants to invite us to their birthday parties," the youngest man said.

Another snorted. "Too afraid we'd spike the punch bowl or something like that."

"Maybe we should straighten out the story for you," the one woman said. "I'm sure you're curious."

"The Telchines," Kapheira started, "—that's everyone here except me and you—were tasked with raising Poseidon. I aided them."

"But Poseidon and the other gods were eaten by Kronos when they were babies," I said. "And when they came out, they were fully grown. How is that possible?"

The woman laughed. "He was still quite young at the time. A new born god, really. Sure he was grown by your standards, but he had much to learn. Being stuck in your fathers gut doesn't open you up with many learning opportunities."

"Anyway, we all raised him. We were like one big old happy family," Kapheira sighed happily.

"That was until he turned his back on us and sided with that brother of his," Damon hissed angrily.

"There was this…incident," Kapheira tried to explain. "It happened a long time after your father left us to take over his kingdom. The Telchine were driven out of Rhodes by the Heliadae."

"Those stupid bas—"

"Shush! So they were driven out. And as revenge they mixed Stygian water and sulfur together, and started poisoning the plants and animals, and later on, some mortals as well."

"It wasn't the worst thing ever done," the oldest man said. "Those gods have done far worse than we have. But they sit on their mighty thrones, thinking they're bigger and better then all of us."

"Zeus wasn't pleased with how things were handled," Kapheira explained, calmly. "So he sent Poseidon to come execute them."

"He chose his own blood over us," Damon seethed. "One word from his brother—just one word! And he threw us away. As though we never did anything for him. We were family before that king, but he didn't care! The mere fact that he was blood was what turned him against us."

Kapheira sent him a sympathetic look. "We've been in hiding since. I suppose I don't have to be, but it just wouldn't feel right, leaving them. As you can tell, family is important to us."

I sat through this as quietly as I could. They obviously hated my father. No doubt. So what was keeping me alive? Kapheira said they wouldn't harm me, but that look on Damon's face said differently. I'm sure he was making a list for all the things he'd need for that lemon glaze.

"So why did you save me," I asked, not sure if I really wanted the answer. "Why let me live? I am Poseidon's daughter after all."

"Word around the campfire is you don't like daddy dearest," Lykos said, propping his head up with his hand. Okay, scary, but handsome. Scary, but very handsome.

"You might even detest him as much as we do."

I felt myself shrink. This conversation was going better than I thought, but then again, not very good. "I don't know. Your hate is kind of hard to beat."

"We were thinking," Kapheira said, grabbing my hands, "how wonderful it would be to have a child running around."

The young blond girl cleared her throat, clearly still bored. "Uh hem, excuse me?"

"Well, to have another girl around for Dexithea. She gets pretty lonely around here. It'll be good to have a friend here."

Did you hear that? That was my mind exploding all over the inside of my scull. A bunch of sea demons wanted to adopt me. Yay for me?

"Uh…wait," I stumbled. "You…You want me to stay here?"

Kapheira nodded enthusiastically. "Yes."

"B-but, my mom and my brother…"

"Weak, unneeded," one ginger haired sea demon waved off.

"…I don't know you guys…and well, you don't know me very well either."

"Then maybe everyone should introduce themselves."

"I'm Lykos!" Lykos joked.

"Mylas," a biker looking dude said.

"Nicon," a long, black haired guy said.

"Chalcon," the oldest said.

"Makelo," the older woman said.

"Dexithea," the bored young girl sighed.

"Hormenius," a younger blond man said.

"Skelmis," a copper haired grinner winked.

"Simon," the youngest waved.

"Argyron," said the sharpest dressed.

"See," Kapheira squealed. "Now you know everyone. And we know enough about you to know we want you here. You have to stay."

There were many things I wanted to do in that moment. Scream. Run. Sass my butt off. Maybe stab Damon a few times, just because I hate him. But that would no doubt lead to my own death. And as much as I wanted to sass and run off, I wanted to live even more. So things couldn't be half thought out and all instincts. My instincts have gotten me into enough trouble with simple mortals. If there was one thing I they really beat hard into my brain at Gallagher, it was that you have to use your head instead in tuff situations. You have to think.

Options

A list by Cameron Jackson

A) Tell them I want to leave, making it look like I'm siding with my father. End result: my possibly very painful death by—most likely—poison at the hands of sea demons.

B) Saying yes to them: I forever live as a member of a sea demon family who got their kicks by poisoning people. Never see mom or Percy ever again. Possibly have to start poisoning people myself.

C) Play along and find a way to escape: possible survival/death.

Now, call me stupid, but choice C was looking pretty tempting.

So I smiled that polite smile Madam Dabney worked so hard with me on, and said in the most convincing voice I could muster: "Of course I'll stay."

* * *

**So, we got a bit of Cammie's side of the story. I picked a fairly obscure sort of creature. I tried researching further into the Telchine, but there wasn't much there, and everything I did find was a different story. That actually gave me a lot of wiggle room. So I hope you like what I have done with it. It was a lot of fun to write. **

**Now I would have had this chapter out yesterday, because my hotel did have internet, BUT I was busy at Universal Studios having the best time EVER! I got to go to the Harry Potter part of the theme park and running around Diagon Alley. I even got Hermione's wand! And it is epic! But, yeah, I was there from opening till closing, so I was exhausted and didn't find it worth keeping everyone in my room up by booting my laptop up to get the chapter up. Sorry. I hope you found this chapter worth it though!**

**Have a good night my Nerdletts!**


	6. Chapter 5

I PLACE AN UNDERWATER PHONE CALL

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

I'd never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised me.

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director, Mr. D, wants it to. I thought it would be warm and sunny, but instead the snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and the weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, were the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. I wondered if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows up there or something.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hoped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"

He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered what his sister had told him.

"Perseus Jackson!"

The angry scream scared me more than I'd like to admit. Turning around, I found an enraged Roe trudging my way. Her eyes were as blisteringly hot as the fading Maserati. Her short cropped black hair waved around her head like a halo of swarming insects. I had seen the demigod flustered and frustrated and upset, but never had I seen her so furious.

"Where is she?" she screamed, reaching me. She stood on my toes. She was right up in my face, her words even louder. "Where is Cammie!?"

"Roe—"

"Because what I just heard those Katniss—wannabes say better not be true. Because if it's true, someone is going to die, and you look like the winning candidate!"

Thalia gripped Roe's shoulder, pulling her back. "That's enough, Roe!" she glared. "Back off."

"Back off!?" She squawked. "If what those girls said is true, Cammie's dead! And you just want me to back off? What happened!? Where is she?"

"She's not dead," I said stiffly.

"Percy—" Thalia said, her face twisted in pain.

"I wouldn't let her die, Roe," I continued. "She's not allowed to die without me right beside her to stop it. Now I will explain what happened, but it will have to be _later._" I looked to Nico. "Just let me take care of some things first."

She seemed to calm down the slightest bit, but she was still glaring into me. "You're going to explain yourself later."

I nodded.

She gave me a brisk nod, and stalked off.

"That was rude," Nico said.

Thalia stood beside me. "She just didn't like hearing it from the Hunters first, I bet."

Still, it hurt. Roe was an undetermined demigod, her godly heritage on her mother's side. Her and Cammie bonded in a way she and I hadn't. We were friends, but that was the extent of our relationship, really. Her and Cammie were much closer. But being constantly blamed by my friends for my sister and my best friend's demise was really kind of painful.

"Come on," I said to Nico. "We're taking you to Chiron."

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," I said. "He's…well, you'll see."

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."

* * *

The second thing that surprised me about camp was how empty it was. I mean, I knew most half-bloods only trained during the summer. Just the year-rounders would be here—the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there didn't even seem to be many of them, either.

I spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stroking the forge outside the camp armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. That was about it. Even my old rival from the Ares cabin, Clarisse, didn't seem to be around.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wasn't posing as a teacher this year, so I guess he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoof print design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, and this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," I said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

Thalia gave me a fleeting look. "Well…"

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Cammie and Annabeth."

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice. "Not another one lost. Or two, I guess."

I'd been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must've meant he'd won the last hand of cards.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else was lost?"

Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But…Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia and me, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

* * *

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth and Cammie immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia and I said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and I both started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," I snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name. "And if you even think of messing up my sister's name—"

"Percy," Thalia hissed.

"Look, you have that boy to replace them," Mr. D said. "So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great they are died."

I wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of us.

"They may still be alive," Chiron said, but I could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "Both are very bright and resourceful. If…If our enemies have either one of them, they will try to play for time. They may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want Annabeth alive."

"Cammie could have survived," I said. "She fell into the ocean. She's a daughter of Poseidon, so she could be fine."

"In either case," said Mr. D, "I'm afraid they'll have to be smart enough to escape on their own."

I got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Mr. D was not somebody to mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD kid like me, he wouldn't give you any slack. But I was so angry I didn't care.

"You're glad to lose campers," I said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," I growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little! You don't care what happens to us, so let us go search for them! What do you care if you lose a couple more!?"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast me to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're…you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah," Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved my life. "Well, that's…gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" I asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told us.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."

She hauled me out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill me."

* * *

"You've already got Ares on your bad side," Thalia reminded me gently as we trudged toward the cabins. "You need another immortal enemy?"

I shrugged. "The more the merrier."

She was right, though. Cammie and I's first summer as campers, we'd gotten in a fight with Ares, and now he and all his children wanted to kill us. I didn't need to make Dionysus mad, too.

"I couldn't help it," I said. "It's not fair."

She stopped by the armory and looked out across the valley, toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. Her pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in its lower branch. The tree's magic still protected the borders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.

"Percy, everything is unfair," Thalia muttered. "Sometimes I wish…"

She didn't finish, but her tone was so sad I felt sorry for her. With her ragged black hair and her black punk clothes, an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like some kind of huge raven, completely out of place in the white landscape.

"We'll get them back," I promised. "I don't know how yet, but we will."

"First I found out that Luke is lost," she said. "Now Annabeth—"

"Don't think like that."

"You're right." She straightened up. "We'll find a way."

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a guy from the Ares cabin. The Ares kid had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about caprute the flag tomorrow."

"All right. You should be team captain."

"No, no," she said. "You've been at camp longer. You do it."

"We can, uh…co-captain or something."

She looked about as comfortable with that as I felt, but she nodded.

As she headed for the court, I said, "Hey, Thalia."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about what happened at Westover. I should've waited for you guys."

She softened. "'S okay, Percy. I probably would've done the same thing. And I'm sorry for yelling at you before. It was out of line. You had just lost Cammie…And I know you think I don't know how it feels, but Percy, I get it. Really, I do." She shifted from foot to foot, like she was trying to decide whether or not to say more. "You know, you asked about my mom and I kinda snapped at you. It's just…I went back to find her after seven years, and I found out she died in Los Angeles. She, um…she was a heavy drinker and apparently she went out driving late on night about two years ago, and…" Thalia blinked hard.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well. It's…It's not like we were ever close. I ran away when I was ten. Best two years of my life were when I was running around with Luke and Annabeth. But still—"

"That's why you had trouble with the sun van."

She gave me a wary look. "What do you mean?"

"The way you stiffened up. You must've been thinking about your mom, not wanting to get behind the wheel."

I was sorry I'd said anything. Thalia's expression was dangerously close to Zeus's, the one time I'd seen him get angry—like any minute, her eyes would shoot a million volts.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Yeah, that must've been it."

She trudged off toward the court, where the Ares camper and the Hunter were trying to kill each other with a sword and a basketball.

* * *

The cabins were the weirdest collection of buildings you've ever seen. Zeus and Hera's big white-columned buildings, Cabins one and Two, stood in the middle, with five gods' cabins on the left and five goddesses' cabins on the right, so they all made a U around the central green and the barbecue hearth.

I made the rounds, telling everybody about capture the fled. I woke up some Ares kid from his midday nap and he yelled at me to go away. When I asked him where Clarisse was he said, "Went on a quest for Chiron. Top secret!"

"Is she okay?"

"Haven't heard from her in a month. She's missing in action. Like your butt's gonna be if you don't get outta here!"

I decided to let him go back to sleep.

I swung by the Hermes cabin, and figured this was as good as a time as ever to let Roe in on what happened. As I opened the door, our eyes met across the way, and she was up and walking over to me. She pulled me out onto the porch, around the corner of the cabin and crossed her arms across her chest, waiting.

I told her everything that had happened, and she just stood their silently. She wasn't even looking at me anymore, just staring down at the ground.

"So, yeah," I said, feeling really uncomfortable. "Can you tell everybody inside that there is a capture the flag game? Some kind of tradition, I gue—"

Roe's arms wrapped around my neck, and for a second I was afraid she was going to strangle me. Only after she buried her head in my shoulder and started to sob did I think otherwise.

"I'm not hugging you cause I feel sorry for you," she snapped, though it didn't really have a bite what with her sniffly tone. "I'm doing this for me."

Roe was a very guarded person; I knew that much for sure. She didn't like people know when she was hurting. She hid her feelings like they were top secret information. But she trusted me to at least glance. And honestly, as weird as it sounds, it was the best thing that had happened to me all day.

I hugged her back tightly, dropping my head to her shoulder. I was tired. So tired. But this gave me strength. "She's not gone. I'm going to get her back. I promise."

She nodded, pulling away. If she was embarrassed about getting snot on my shirt, she didn't show it. She just nodded at me, saying "I'll tell the others about capture the flag," before walking back inside.

I stood there a few seconds longer, just trying to get my bearings.

I had a lot more riding on me to find my girls now.

* * *

Finally I got to Cabin Three, the cabin of Poseidon. It was a low gray building hewn from sea stone, with shells and coral fossils imprinted in the rock. Inside, it was just as empty as always, except for mine and Cammie's bunk. A Minotaur horn hung on the wall in-between the heads of our two beds.

I set Cammie's backpack down on her bed. I knew she'd need it when she got back.

I took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. It creaked noisily as it spiraled out. Dr. Thorn's spikes had dented the brass in a dozen places. One gash kept the shield from opening all the way, so it looked like a pizza with two slices missing. The beautiful metal pictures that Cammie and I's brother had crafted were all banged up. In the picture of me, Cammie, and Annabeth fighting the Hydra, it looked like a meteor had made a crater in my head. I hung the shield on its hook, next to the Minotaur horn, but it was painful to look at now. Maybe Backendorf from the Hephaestus cabin could fix it for me. He was the best armorsmith in the camp. I'd ask him at dinner.

I was starting at the shield when I noticed a strong sound—water gurgling—and I realized there was something new in the room. At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.

I stepped up to the pool. There was no note attached or anything, but I knew it could only be a gift from Poseidon.

I looked into the water and said, "Thanks, Dad."

The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachma. I realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with my family.

_To keep in touch…_

Running to the window, I opened it up, letting the winter sun shine through, making a rainbow in the mist. Fishing a coin out, I prayed, "Please, _please, _Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering."

I tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared.

"Show me Cammie," I requested, my voice pleading. "Please, wherever she is."

I waited. Five minutes, I waited, just in case it might happen. But nothing. No answer. In my anger, I threw another coin at the mist, but it simply dropped back into the water.

I let my face fall into my palms. Tears tracked down my face. She's alive. I _heard _her before. I might have been fearing for my life at the moment, but it was real.

I slunk to the floor, letting myself sob hysterically for who knows how long. It felt like a life time. A life time where I couldn't feel my sister's presence right beside my own. Where my best friend was who knows where. Where I screwed everything up.

It really sucked.

After a while, I calmed myself down. _Getting them back, remember?_

Yeah. That was the plan. But for now, you just need to call somebody.

I chose Tyson. We hadn't talked in way to long, and at the moment, I needed some family. I couldn't face my mother, not after I told her what happened to Cammie.

"Show me Tyson," I asked. "At the forges of the Cyclopes."

The mist shimmered, and the image of my half-brother appeared. He was surrounded in fire, which would've been a problem if he weren't a Cyclopes. He was bent over an anvil, hammering a red-hot sword blade. Sparks flew and flames swirled around his body. There was a marble-framed window behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water—the bottom of the ocean.

"Tyson!" I yelled.

He didn't hear me at first because of the hammering and the roar of the flames.

"TYSON!"

He turned, and his one enormous eye widened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. "Percy!"

He dropped the sword blade and ran at me, trying to give me a hug. The vision blurred and I instinctively lurched back. "Tyson, it's an Iris-message. I'm not really here."

"Oh." He came back into view, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I knew that. Yes."

"How are you?" I asked. "How's the job?"

His eye lit up. "Love the job! Look!" He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. "I made this!"

"That's really cool."

"I wrote my name on it. Right there."

"Awesome. Listen, do you talk to Dad much?"

Tyson's smile faded. "Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war."

"What do you mean?"

Tyson sighed. He stuck the sword blade out the window, where it made a cloud of boiling bubbles. When Tyson brought it back in, the medal was cool. "The old sea spirits making trouble. Aigaios. Oceanus. Those guys."

I sort of knew what he was talking about. He meant the immortals that used to run the oceans back in the time of the Titans. Before Olympians took over. The fact that they were back now, with the Titan Lord Kronos and his allies gaining strength, was not good.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

Tyson shook his head sadly. "We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by tomorrow." He looked at his sword blade and sighed. "Old spirits are protecting the bad boat."

"The _Princess Andromeda?" _I asked. "Luke's boat?"

"Yes. They make it hard to find. Protect it from Daddy's storms. Otherwise he would smash it."

"Smashing it would be good."

Tyson perked up, as if he'd just had another thought. "Cammie! Where is Cammie?"

I immediately wanted to cry again. Tyson and me had gone to school together for a year before he ever even met Cammie. In that time, I told him all kinds of stories about her, and he started looking at her like some kind of superhero or something. When they met, Cammie instantly adored him. She sort of treated him like her little baby, and he didn't really seem to care. He enjoyed it, I think. Which made telling him the truth all the harder.

"She's sleeping, buddy," I said, my heart the weight of a bowling ball. I couldn't make him cry. He'd cry so hard he'd put out his fires. "We had a long trip. She was wiped."

"Oh," he said, slightly disappointed, but he perked right back up. "Tell her hello when she wakes up! Hello to sister Cammie!"

"Okay." I fought back a lump in my throat. "I'll do that. I'll make sure she calls you when she can."

"And, Percy, don't worry about the bad boat. It is going away."

"What do you mean?"

"Panama Canal! Very far away."

I frowned. Why would Luke take his demon-infested cruise ship all the way down there? The last time we'd seen him, he'd been cruising along the East Coast, recruiting half-bloods and training his monstrous army.

"All right," I said, not feeling reassured. "That's…good. I guess."

In the forges, a deep voice bellowed something I couldn't make out. Tyson flinched. "Got to get back to work! Boss will get mad. Good luck, Brother!"

"Okay, tell Dad—"

But before I could finish, the vision shimmered and faded. I was alone again the my cabin, feeling even lonelier than before.

* * *

I was pretty miserable at dinner that night.

I mean, the food was excellent as usual. You can't go wrong with barbecue, pizza, and ever-empty soda goblets. The torches and braziers kept the outdoor pavilion warm, but we all had to sit with our cabin mates, which meant I was alone at the Poseidon table. Me and Cammie usually sat together, but obviously that wasn't an option at the moment. Thalia sat alone at the Zeus table, but we couldn't sit together. Camp rules. At least the Hephaestus, Ares, and Hermes cabins had a few people each. Nico sat with the Stoll brothers, since new campers always got stuck in the Hermes cabin if their Olympian parent was unknown. The Stoll brothers seemed to be trying to convince Nico that poker was a much better game than Mythomagic. I hoped Nico didn't have any money to lose.

The only table that really seemed to be having a good time was the Artemis table. The Hunters drank and ate and laughed like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head like she was the mama. She didn't laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant's band glittered in the dark braids of her hair. I thought she looked a lot nicer when she smiled. Bianca di Angelo seemed to be having a great time. She was trying to learn how to arm wrestle from the big girl who'd picked a fight with the Ares kid on the basketball court. The bigger girl was beating her every time, but Bianca didn't seem to mind.

When we'd finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was pretty halfhearted. Then he announced the "good will" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

Afterward, we all trailed back to our cabins for an early, winter lights out. I was exhausted, which meant I fell asleep easily. That was the good part. The bad part was, I had a nightmare, and even by my standard it was a whopper.

* * *

Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. It almost seemed like the Underworld, because I immediately felt claustrophobic and I couldn't see the sky above—just a close, heavy darkness, as if I were in a cave.

Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to ruins.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? What did you do with Cammie? Why did you bring me here?" She scrambled over a section of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill.

She gasped.

There was Luke. And he was in pain.

He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat.

"Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

She ran forward.

I tried to cry out: _He's a traitor! Don't trust him!_

But my voice didn't work in the dream.

Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second she hesitated.

"What happened," she asked.

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

I couldn't see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

_Let him die, _I wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill us in cold blood too many times. He didn't deserve anything form Annabeth.

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.

"I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threated to crush Annabeth.

"HELP ME!" she pleaded.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground.

* * *

I sat bolt upright in bed, clawing at the sheets. There was no sound in my cabin except the gurgle of the saltwater spring. The clock on my nightstand read just after midnight.

Only a dream, but I was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.

* * *

**Firstly, I'm going to apologize in advance for having so many of the chapters being Percy's prospective, and yes, there is going to be two more in a row after this, but I'm doing it to keep the story linear so we're not jumping back and forth between timelines. But then it's going to be a pretty even, so hopefully you're patient with me, and continue on! I'll reward you with some cute little kid flashbacks of Percy and Cammie…maybe.**

**Goodnight my Nerdletts! Senior Nerd out!**


	7. Chapter 6

AN OLD DEAD FRIEND COMES TO VISIT

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, I told Grover about my dream. We sat in the meadow watching the satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow. The nymphs had promised to kiss the satyrs if they could catch them, but they hardly ever did. Usually the nymph would let the satyr get up a full head of stream, then she'd turn into a snow-covered tree and the poor satyr would slam into it head first and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

When I told Grover my nightmare, he started twirling his finger in his shaggy leg fur.

"A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" he asked.

"Yeah, what the heck does that mean?"

Grover shook his head. "I don't know. But after what Zoe dreamed—"

"Whoa. What do you mean? Zoe had a dream like that?"

"I…I don't know, exactly. About three in the morning she came to the Big House and demanded to talk to Chiron. She looked really panicked."

"Wait, how do you know this?"

Grover blushed. "I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin."

"What for?"

"Just to be, you know, near them."

"You're a stalker with hooves. I'm glad you weren't like this when you had a crush on Cammie." I paused, suddenly growing very angry. "You didn't, _did you?_"

"NO! I wouldn't—Not Cammie! I mean, you are my friend, and she's my friend, and she's your _sister, _and I knew if you ever caught me, you'd—" He gulped.

"Cause if I find out you _did, I swear—" _

"I was too scared of you catching me to even try. Not that I would have if I wasn't!"

Still suspicious, I sat back and nodded for him to continue.

"Anyway, I followed her to the Big House and hid in a bush and watched the whole thing. She got real upset when Argus wouldn't let her in. It was kind of a dangerous scene."

I tried to imagine that. Argus was the head of security for camp—a big blond dude with eyes all over his body. He rarely showed himself unless something serious was going on. I wouldn't want to place bets on a fight between him and Zoe Nightshade.

"What did she say?" I asked.

Grover grimaced. "Well, she starts talking really old-fashioned when she gets upset, so it was kind of hard to understand. But something about Artemis being in trouble and needing the Hunters. And then she called Argus a boil-brained lout…I think that's a bad thing. And he called her a—"

"Whoa, wait. How could Artemis be in trouble?"

"I…well, finally Chiron came out in his pajamas and his horse tail in curlers and—"

"He wears curlers in his tail?"

Grover covered his mouth.

"Sorry," I said. "Go on."

"Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He reminded Zoe that the Hunters were supposed to stay here until they received orders from Artemis. And she said…" Grover gulped. "She said 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"

"What do you mean lost? Like she needs directions?"

"No. I think she meant gone. Taken. Kidnapped."

"_Kidnapped?_" I tried to get my mind around the idea. "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it happened to Persephone."

"But she was like, the goddess of _flowers._"

Grover looked offended. "Springtime."

"Whatever. Artemis is a lot more powerful than that. Who could kidnap her? And why?"

Grover shook his head miserably. "I don't know. Kronos?"

"He can't be that powerful already. Can he?"

The last time we'd seen Kronos, he'd been in tiny pieces. Okay, so we hadn't actually _seen _him. Thousands of years ago, after the big Titan-God war, the gods had sliced him up into bits with his own scythe and scattered his remains in Tarturas, which is like the gods' bottomless recycling bin for their enemies. Two summers ago, Kronos had tricked up to the very edge of the pit and almost pulled us in. Then last summer, on board Luke's demon cruise ship, we'd seen a golden coffin, where Luke claimed he was summoning the Titan Lord out of the abyss, bit by bit, every time someone new joined their cause. Kronos could influence people with dreams and trick them, but I didn't see how he could physically overcome Artemis if he was still like a pile of evil bark mulch.

"I don't know," Grover said. "I think somebody would know if Kronos had re-formed. The gods would be more nervous. But still, it's weird, you having a nightmare the same night as Zoe. It's almost like—"

"They're connected," I said. I sighed in frustration. "Great. I'm sharing dreams with a boy-hating hunter, but not my own sister. Just great."

Grover gave me a sympathetic look. "Still nothing on that side?"

"I sometimes _feel _like there's something. But the moment I try and hone in on it, it disappears. Sometimes I swear I hear her clear as day, but then it's just gone." I shook my head. "Maybe I'm just going insane, but it doesn't feel that way. It feels like her, only I can't reach her."

I look out over the frozen meadow, watching a satyr skid on his hooves as he chases after a redheaded tree nymph. She giggles and held out her arms as he ran toward her. _Pop! _She turned into a Scotch pine and he kissed the trunk at top speed.

"Ah, love," Grover said dreamily.

I thought about Zoe's nightmare, which she'd had only a few hours after mine.

"I've got to talk to Zoe," I said.

"Um, before you do…" Grover took something out of his coat pocket. It was a three-fold display like a travel brochure. "You remember what you said—about how it was weird the Hunters just happened to show up at Westover Hall? I think they might've been scouting us."

"Scouting us? What do you mean?"

He gave me the brochure. It was about the Hunters of Artemis. The front read, A WISE CHOICE FOR YOUR FUTURE! Inside were pictures of young maidens doing hunter stuff, chasing monsters, shooting bows. There were captions like: HEALTH BENEFITS: IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU! and A BOY-FREE TOMORROW!

"I found that in Annabeth's backpack," Grover said.

I stared at him. "I don't understand."

"Well, it seems to me…maybe Annabeth was thinking about joining."

* * *

I'd like to say I took the news well.

The truth was, I wanted to strangle the Hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time. The rest of the day I tried to keep busy, but I was worried sick about Annabeth. I went to javelin-throwing class, but the Ares camper in charge chewed me out after I got distracted and threw the javelin at the target before he got out of the way. I apologized for the hole in his pants, but he still sent me packing.

I visited the Pegasus stables, but Silena Beauregard from the Aphrodite cabin was having an argument with one of the Hunters, and I decided I'd better not get involved.

I went back to my cabin and started unpacking mine and Cammie's backpacks. Mine was easy enough, but Cam's was full of all sorts of things I was afraid might blow up. I sifted through her napotine patches (sticking a few in my pocket, just in that fight Silena was having got too out of control), and put her text books on her shelf, and pocketed chewing gum, and hiding her yo-yo, just so I was sure the Stoll brothers couldn't get their hands on them. Sound silly? It's really not. When Cammie's roommate, Liz, found out Cam 'lost' her yo-yo climbing gear prototype, she made a new one, only improved. It still had super strong rope, but now the miniaturized motor was in it, along with a hook you could shoot out of one side to catch the ground above with. And the chewing gum? Turned into a cement like paste that if you stepped in, you were sure not to get your shoe back. Not to mention it's strawberry flavored.

After that, I sat in the empty chariot stands and sulked. Down at the archery fields, Chiron was conducting target practice. I knew he'd be the best person to talk to. Maybe he could give me some advice, but something held me back. I had a feeling Chiron would try to protect me, like he always did. He might not tell me everything he knew.

I looked the other direction. At the top of Half-Blood Hill, Mr. D and Argus were feeding the baby dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece.

Then it occurred to me: no one would be in the Big House. There was someone else…some_thing _else I could ask for guidance.

My blood was humming in my ears as I ran into the house and took the stairs. I'd only done this once before, and I still had nightmares about it. I opened the trap door and stepped into the attic.

The room was dark and dusty and cluttered with junk, just like I remembered. There were shields with monster bites out of them, and swords bent in the shapes of daemon heads, and a bunch of taxidermy, like a stuffed harpy, and a bright orange python.

Over by the window, sitting on a three-legged stool, was the shriveled-up mummy of an old lady in a tie-dyed hippie dress. The Oracle.

I made myself walk toward her. I waited for green mist to billow from the mummy's mouth, like it had before, but nothing happened.

"Hi," I said. "Uh, what's up?"

I winced at how stupid that sounded. Not much could be "up" when you're dead and stuck in the attic. But I knew the spirit of the Oracle was in there somewhere. I could feel a cold presence in the room, like a coiled sleeping snake.

"I have a question," I said a little louder. "I need to know about Cammie and Annabeth. I need to know how to save Annabeth, and where my sister is."

No answer. The sun slanted through the dirty attic window, lighting the dust motes dancing in the air.

I waited longer.

Then I got angry. I was being stonewalled by a corpse.

"All right," I said. "Fine. I'll figure it out myself."

I turned and bumped into a big table full of souvenirs. It seemed more cluttered than the last time I was here with Cammie. Heroes stored all kinds of stuff in the attic: quest trophies they no longer wanted in their cabins, or stuff that held painful memories. I knew Luke had stored a dragon claw somewhere up here—the one that had scarred his face. There was a broken sword hilt labeled: _This broke and Leroy got killed. 1999._

Then I noticed a pink silk scarf with a label attached to it. I picked up the tag and tried to read it:

**SCARF OF THE GODDESS APHRODIE**

RECOVERED AT WATERLAND, DENVER, CO.,

BY ANNABETH CHASE AND PERCY AND CAMERON JACKSON

I stared at the scarf. It'd totally forgotten about it. Two years ago, Annabeth had ripped this scarf out of my hands and said something like, _Oh, no. No love magic for you!_

I'd just assumed she'd thrown it away. And yet here it was. She'd kept it all this time? And why had she stashed it in the attic?

I turned to the mummy. She hadn't moved, but the shadows across her face made it look like she was smiling gruesomely.

I dropped the scarf and tried not to run toward the exit.

* * *

That night after dinner, I was seriously ready to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers.

Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't looked too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. I guess Zoe had told them about her nightmare.

On our team, we had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin (though it still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around), the Stoll brothers and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. It was weird that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually they sat on the sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard we were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless'," Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

That left Thalia and me.

"I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."

"Oh." I hesitated, because I'd been about to say the exact same thing, only reversed. "Don't you think with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"

Thalia already had Aegis on her arm, and even our own teammates were giving her a wide berth, trying not to cower before the bronze head of Medusa.

"Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've have more practice at defense."

I wasn't sure if she was teasing me. Cam and I had some pretty bad experiences with defense on capture the flag. Our first year, Annabeth had put us out as a kind of bait, and we'd almost been gored to death with spears and killed by a hellhound.

"Yeah, no problem," I lied.

She gave me a sideways look. "Not to mention, you've been spacy all day."

"Have I?"

She nodded. "Look, I just think you should stick on defense tonight, okay?"

I didn't like the idea of putting me on defense just because I'd been distracted. When it came to the game, I was going to put my all into it. But her eyes were almost pleading me not to argue.

"Okay, fine. I'll take defense."

"Cool." Thalia turned to help some of the Aphrodite kids, who were having trouble suiting up their armor without breaking their nails. Nico di Angelo ran up to me with a big grin on his face.

"Percy, this is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate was about six sizes too big. I wondered if there was any way I'd looked that ridiculous when I'd first arrived. Unfortunately, I probably had.

Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"

"Well…no."

"But the Hunters are immortal, right?"

"That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"

"It would be awesome if we just, like resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting, and—"

"Nico, this is serious. Real swords. These can hurt."

He stared at me, a little disappointed, and I realized that I'd just sounded like my mother. Whoa. Not a good sign.

I patted Nico on the shoulder. "Hey, it's cool. Just follow the team. Stay out of Zoe's way. We'll have a blast."

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half Flood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

"Sweet," Nico whispered next to me. "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"

I was about to break it to him that he didn't, when Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"

We jogged to keep up, and I took pity on him. "Here, Nico, take this."

He looked at what I placed in his hand. "Gum?"

"It's cement gum. Chew it, it expands and whatever it sticks to won't be getting out to easily."

His eyes widened. "Cool! This is magic?"

He looked so excited, I didn't have the heart to tell him it was actually science. So I nodded. "Just try not to get it anywhere it would be hard to remove."

He nodded. "I'll use it for something good."

I could tell I was going to regret giving it to him.

* * *

We set our flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It's this cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if you look at it just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous dear droppings, but Chiron wouldn't let us call the place the Poop pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor.

Anyway, it was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearing visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.

I set Nico on guard duty with Beckendorf, Roe, and the Stoll brothers, figuring he'd be safely out of the way.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."

"Got it!"

"Take Laurel and Jasper. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."

Everybody nodded. It sounded good, and Thalia said it with such confidence you couldn't help but believe it would work.

Thalia looked at me. "Anything to add, Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity," I added.

Thalia gave me a slightly frustrated look. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless—"

"Don't leave your post." I could see her earlier sympathy fading away really quickly. She turned back to everyone else. "Now, is everybody clear?"

Everybody nodded, though they didn't really seem to be 'clear'. They seemed to be confused by their captain's messages. Still, we broke up into our smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.

Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.

I waited for something to happen. I climbed Zeus's Fist and had a good view over the forest. I remembered how the Hunters had stormed out of the woods when they fought the manticore, and I was prepared for something like that—one huge charge that could overwhelm us. But nothing happened.

I caught a glimpse of Silena and her two scouts. They ran through, followed by five of the Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia. The plan seemed to be working. Then I spotted another clump of Hunters heading to the right, bows ready. They must've spotted Thalia.

"What's happening?" Nico demanded, trying to climb up next to me.

My mind was racing. Thalia would never get through, but the Hunters were divided. With that many on either flank, their center had to be wide open. If I moved fast…

I looked at Beckendorf. "Can you guys old the fort?"

Beckendorf snorted. "Of course."

Roe rose a single eyebrow at me. "What are you planning?"

"I'm going in."

The Stoll brothers and Nico cheered as I raced toward the boundary line. Roe and Beckendorf shared humored smirks.

I was running at top speed and I felt great. I leaped over the creek into enemy territory. I could see their silver flag up ahead, only one guard, who wasn't even looking in my direction. I heard fighting to my left and right, somewhere in the woods. I had it made.

The guard turned at the last minute. It was Bianca di Angelo. Her eyes widened as I slammed into her and she went sprawling in the snow.

"Sorry!" I yelled. I ripped down the silver silk flag from the tree and took off.

I was ten yards away before Bianca managed to yell for help. I thought I was home free.

_ZIP! _A silvery cord raced across my ankles and fastened to the tree next to me. A trip wire, fired from a bow! Before I could even think about stopping, I went down hard, sprawling in the snow.

"Percy!" Thalia yelled, off to my left. "What are you _doing?_"

Before she reached me, an arrow exploded at her feet and a cloud of yellow smoke billowed around her team. They started coughing and gagging. I could smell the gas from across the woods—the horrible smell of sulfur.

"No fair!" Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!"

I got up and started running again. Only a few more yards to the creek and I had the game. More arrows whizzed past my ears. A Hunter came out of nowhere and I had just enough time to pull out one of Cammie's napotine patches, peel the plastic off, and slap it on her forehead before she slashed at me.

I heard yelling form our side of the creek. Beckendorf, Roe, and Nico were running toward me. I thought they were coming to welcome me back, but then I saw they were chasing someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. And she had our flag in her hands.

"No!" I yelled, and poured on the speed.

I was two feet from the water when Zoe bolted across to her own side, slamming into me for good measure. The Hunters cheered as both sides converged on the creek. Chiron appeared out of the woods, looking grim. He had the Stoll brothers on his back, and it looked as if both of them had taken some nasty whacks to the head. Connor Stoll had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.

"The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."

"Shoot," Roe cursed, running up next to me. "Sorry, we tried to hold her—"

"But she's good," I said.

"Scary good. We didn't even know she had us until she was booking it in the other direction."

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward me. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. It took all my willpower not to cower. I couldn't even find a spark of the sympathy from before.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

I balled my fists. I'd had enough bad stuff happen to me for one day. I didn't need this. "I got the flag, Thalia!" I shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it."

"I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've won."

"You had too many on you!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"Argh!" Thalia pushed me, and a shock went through my body that blew me backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs.

"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to—"

Anger roared in my ears. A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.

I stood up. "Yeah," I growled. "I didn't mean to, either."

Thalia was breathing heavily.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered.

But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

Somehow, it was okay when Annabeth called me that—at least, I'd gotten used to it—but hearing it from Thalia was not cool.

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"

I raised Riptide, but before I could even defend myself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into my chest.

I sat down hard. There was a burning smell; I had a feeling it was my clothes.

"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is _enough!"_

I got to my feet and willed the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud.

"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.

"I AM SICK OF YOU PUNISHING ME WHEN IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" I yelled, letting it hit her at full force.

She went down, much harder than I had all night, and was pushed deep into the mud by the force of the rest of the creek. She covered her face, waiting until the last drop fell before gasping for breath.

I thought about doing it again. About gathering all the water, and hitting her until she stopped blaming me. Until I felt better.

But then I saw someone…something in the woods approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It…she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

None of us dared move. Then her voice hissed inside my head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over their ears.

_I am the spirit of Delphi, _the voice said. _Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python._

The Oracle regarded me with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. _Approach, Seeker, and ask._

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke:

_Six shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_One will travel on their own, to meet them there,_

_And great suffering they will bear,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail, _

_The Titan's curse must one withstand_

_And one shall parish by a parent's hand._

Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry I'm a day late. I was hit by a nasty cold, and when writing this chapter several time forgot Percy had a sister. Or that his name was Percy. On the bright side, I'm only one day! Which doesn't help at all, but it's spring break, and I have no life so defiantly getting that next chapter on time! (maybe…)**

**I hope it lived up to your expectations. Night my Nerdletts!**


	8. Chapter 7-Part One

EVERYBODY HATES ME BUT THE HORSE

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

A few campers were elected to carry back the Oracle. I would have thought they'd elect me, but I guess they saw how bad my mood was, and didn't care to go for a swim themselves.

As they carried her away, Grover said, "Well, that's gross."

I knew he was trying to keep things light for my sake, but I was still a little shaky with anger. Not only would the whole camp be mad at me for losing the game to the Hunters, but the Oracle had made a personal visit to _Zoe _to give the new prophecy, as though she went out of her way to exclude me. She walked half a mile to talk to _ZOE. _She wasn't exactly the best conversationalist. And said nothing, _nothing,_ to me.

"What will Chiron do?" I asked Grover.

"I wish I knew." He looked out wistfully into the forest. "I want to be out there."

"Looking for Annabeth and Cammie?"

He had a little trouble focusing on me. Then he blushed. "Oh, right. That too, of course."

"Why?" I asked. "What were you thinking?"

He clopped his hooves uneasily. "Just something the manticore said, about the Great Stirring. I can't help but wonder…if all those ancient powers are waking up, maybe…maybe not all of them are evil."

"You mean Pan."

I felt kind of selfish, because I'd totally forgotten about Grover's life ambition. The nature god had gone missing two thousand years ago. He was rumored to have died, but the satyrs didn't believe that. They were determined to find him. They'd been searching in vain for centuries, and Grover was convinced he'd be the one to succeed. This year, with Chiron putting all the satyrs on emergency duty to find half-bloods, Grover hadn't been able to continue his search. It must've been driving him nuts.

"I've let the trail go cold," he said. "I feel restless, like I'm missing something really important. He's out there somewhere. I can just feel it."

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to encourage him, but I didn't know how. My optimism had pretty much been trampled into the snow out there in the woods, along with our capture-the-flag hopes.

Before I could respond, Thalia tromped up to us. We stood there glaring at each other for a minute before Grover coughed uncomfortably.

"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said finally.

"And?" I said blankly.

"And that include you."

"And why are _you _telling me?"

"'Cause no one else wants to come talk to you, that's why."

"Because they're scared of me? At least most of them come in contact with water on a daily basis. Unlike, say, lightning."

Her glare intensified, if that was even possible. "Just be there."

* * *

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to diet coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end. Thalia and Grover and I sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. I was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes vaguely reminded me of someone famous, but I couldn't think who. She looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. _Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. _We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "_Campers and Hunters combined prevail. _We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"_Your," _Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said _thy _in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "_Yerrr. _We do not need _yerrr _help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you _do _need our help, Zoe," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they," Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "_One shall be lost. One shall perish. Great suffering they will bear. _That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail _because _you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raided his eyebrows. "Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophesies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and two," I said.

Everybody looked at me. Thalia even forgot to ignore me.

"The prophecy said six," Travis reminded me.

"_One will travel on their own, to meet them there"_, Thalia remembered. "It sounds like someone is coming to meet us."

I had this hope—this feeling—that the one traveling on their own was Cammie. Annabeth was stuck somewhere, that was made clear by the dream I had. And if Annabeth survived that fall, Cammie definitely did as well. That coupled with the feelings I've been having as of late, I couldn't help but feel it had to be her.

"So…we're supposed to have five," I said, feeling self-conscious. "Three Hunters, two from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks.

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take _all _the Hunters. We will need strength in numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: _The bane of Olympus shows the trail. _What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she was going to whack first. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus, I guess because he was the only god present and gods were supposed to know things. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up. "Well, don't look at me. I'm a _young _god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"Chiron," I said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They were ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. (I liked how he said _you _and not _we._) "It sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."

"_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_" Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And _the Titan's curse must one withstand," _Silena said. "What could that mean?"

I saw Chiron and Zoe exchange a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.

"_One shall perish by a parents' hand," _Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table.

I glanced at Thalia and wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. Years ago, Chiron had had a prophecy about the next child of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen. Supposedly, that kid would make a decision that would save or destroy the gods forever. Because of that, the Big Three had taken an oath after World War II not to have any more kids. But Thalia, Cammie and I had been born anyway, and now we were all getting close to sixteen.

I remember a conversation I'd had last year with Annabeth. I'd asked her, if we were so potentially dangerous, why the gods didn't just kill us.

_Some of the gods would like to kill you, _she'd said. _But they're afraid of offending Poseidon._

Could an Olympian parent turn against his half-blood child? Would it sometimes be easier just to let them die? If there were ever any half-bloods who needed to worry about that, it was Thalia, Cammie and me. I wondered if maybe I should've sent Poseidon that seashell pattern tie for Father's day after all.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of _Wine Connoisseur _magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Two campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will bring Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

I knew the Stoll brothers were up to something. They always were. But I guess Zoe didn't know them as well as I did. She just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But…I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

Bianca closed her mouth. I felt kind of sorry for her. I remember Cammie and I's first quest when we were twelve. I had felt totally unprepared. A little honored, maybe, but a lot resentful and plenty scared.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked. He looked at everyone except me.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Chiron said. "He has satyr senses and woodland magic. I believe you mentioned how you learned to play a tracker's song, right Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. I didn't know what a tracker's song was, but apparently Zoe thought it was a good thing.

"Very well," Zoe said. "And the second camper?"

"Me," both Thalia and me said, standing at the same time. We both looked at each other, daring each other to oppose the other.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Those two—they'd be better. I didn't mean…I'll say, both of them can go."

"No, only Thalia," Zoe said. "I will not have Hunters travel with a boy."

"You traveled with me here," I reminded her.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"Grover's a boy," Thalia reminded her.

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"Look, I would be useful on this quest," I said. "I have to go."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth? Because thy thinks thy sister is the sixth?"

Everyone grew deathly quiet. Not even the bugs dared to make a sound. The subject of my sister and friend had been unofficially forbidden among the campers. Now everyone was waiting for what I was going to do about the subject being approached.

"I do believe it is her, yes," I said, trying to keep a level head. Not an easy task when talking to Zoe. "And if the sixth is my sister, then you need me to help guide you to her when she contacts me."

"Thy sister fell over a cliff," Zoe insisted. "She is dead, and that is the truth. Do not hold on to pointless hope that she might have survived."

I was halfway over the table before Thalia, the Stoll brothers and Beckendorf grabbed me, attempting to pull me back to the ground. Zoe has jumped back, grabbing her bow and arrows, pointing a shot at me. Chiron held a hand out, desperately trying to calm the situation. Mr. D finally put down his magazine to watch in interest.

"Uncalled for!" Thalia screamed, angrily. The sky rumbled outside.

"Another reason I will not travel with thee!" Zoe hissed. "Boys. Can't handle the truth in front of them! The moment it is laid out for them, they attack."

"Don't think just because you're some kind of Artemis groupie with good aim that I won't come over there and pound you into the ground," I hollered. "You come in here thinking you're better than everyone else just because you're part of some immortal fan club. You think you know everything. Your goddess is lost but you know she's out there. My sister is lost, but I _know _she's still alive. That's not called pointless hope! That's called faith!"

Zoe's eyes were thunderous. "Thy will not be coming. That is final."

Chiron, hands still raised, as though that might help keep the peace, said, "the quest is for Artemis. Zoe's choice is final."

"But Percy's right," Thalia said. "The signs point to Cammie. If it is her, and she gets in contact, Percy is invaluable."

Some of the campers nodded.

"Then he will send you word," Chiron countered. "I'm sorry. My word still stands. Thalia and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—He glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

* * *

I didn't show up for dinner that night, which was a mistake, because Chiron and Grover came looking for me.

"Percy, I'm so sorry!" Grover said, sitting next to me on the bunk. "I didn't know they'd—that you'd—honest!"

He started to sniffle, and I wanted to cheer him up, but I was still fuming. Who Zoe had said—more like how she said it—pulled at every protective brotherly instinct I had. How dare she think my sister wasn't capable of saving herself in the _ocean. _She's a child of _Poseidon! _That is her freaking element! The only reason she wouldn't take me was because I was a boy, and it wasn't fair. Had me and Cammie been switched—had Cammie been standing up asking to go, Zoe wouldn't have batted an eyelash.

Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking…I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth and Cammie. If I can find them, I will."

"Yeah, well, it'd be a lot easier if it was me," I grumbled, glaring down at the floor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grover's face fall even more, and felt instant regret. "Sorry, buddy. I'm not mad at you."

"Grover," Chiron said, "perhaps you'd let me have a word with Percy?"

"Sure," he sniffled.

Chiron waited.

"Oh," Grover said. "You mean alone. Sure, Chiron." He looked at me miserably. "See? Nobody needs a goat."

He trotted out the door, blowing his nose on his sleeve.

Chiron sighed and knelt on his horse legs. "Percy—"

"You did it on purpose," I glared. "You know I'd be useful on his quest. Cammie's the sixth, and you know it."

Chiron looked away. "I do not know what to believe, Percy."

"It's _Cammie. _You know that! I can lead us right to her, but I can't do that from here."

"This is why I believe you should stay," Chiron said. "You are too hot headed on the subject. You won't let yourself believe it could be anyone but her."

"That's because I know it is."

"And what if she isn't?" he asked. "What if the sixth is some other demigod or creature, and it turns out it's not her? Would you even really want it to be?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"The prophecy said the one traveling on their own to meet them there would suffer." He gave me a sympathetic look. "Do you really wish that on her?"

I glared up at him. "I rather her unhappy and alive then dead."

"Either way, you aren't fit to go on this quest. You lost both Annabeth and your sister. Let yourself heal. Go home for the holidays."

I knew it was pointless arguing with Chiron on the subject. He wasn't letting me go. But it wasn't fair. This was my sister and my best friend. I _needed _to be out there. I pulled Riptide out of my pocket and set it on my nightstand. It didn't seem like I'd be using it anytime soon.

When he saw the pen, Chiron grimaced. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon."

I didn't understand what he meant. Then I remembered something he'd told me a long time ago, when he first gave me the magic sword: _It has a long and tragic history, which we need not go into._

Chiron handed me a drachma from his saddlebag. "Call your mother, Percy. Tell her you're coming home."

"Without my sister?" I scoffed. "Do you see the problem there, Chiron?"

The old centaur grimaced. I almost felt bad about giving him such a hard time. But when it came to my sister, my worst traits got pulled out and everyone got a taste of them.

"For what it is worth…I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for the last line."

"_One shall perish by a parent's hand. _Yeah."

I didn't need to ask. I knew Chiron's dad was Kronos, the evil Titan Lord himself. The line would make perfect sense if Chiron went on the quest. Kronos didn't care for anyone, including his own children.

"Chiron," I said. "You know what this Titan's curse is, don't you?"

His face darkened. He made a claw over his heart and pushed outward—an ancient gesture for warding off evil. "Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, good night, Percy."

* * *

I didn't end up calling mom. I wouldn't be able to bare it when she asked about Cammie, and when I had to tell her she wasn't there. She worried enough as it was.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember the dream.

I was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above me. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired ever to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, I knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed.

It wasn't Kronos. Kronos's voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraped across stone. I'd heard it taunting me many times before in my dreams. But _this _voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its force made the ground vibrate.

Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

The hypocrite. Like he really cared what happened to her.

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of my dream. Then a meaty hand thrust someone forward into the light—Artemis—her hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains.

I gasped. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. I didn't know why she just didn't will the chains to burst, or make herself disappear, but she didn't seem able to. Maybe the chains prevented her, or some magic about this dark, horrible place.

The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. My heart felt like it was being twisted into a knot. I wanted to run to her, but I couldn't move.

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Luke brought out his sword, Backbiter. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs.

Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess snarled, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again, I assure you."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned. "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."

"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She-she may yet be useful, sir. Further bait."

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure. And she might know where Cameron is."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of _all _mortals will be meaningless." He paused. "And if she can tell us where the daughter of Poseidon is…if our plan does end up failing, we have another option. She will be easy to use without that brother of hers around."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's lifeless body. "Then I'll make sure she survives at least long enough to tell us."

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is…challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse.

* * *

I woke with a start. I was sure I'd heard a loud banging.

I looked around the cabin. It was dark outside. The salt spring still gurgled. No other sounds but the hoots of an owl in the woods and the distant surf on the beach.

_BANG. BANG._

"Come on, Percy, let me in before the monsters catch me."

In my sleepy haze, I couldn't recognize who it was. I got up slowly, grabbing Riptide. The person scoffed, impatiently. "Know what? I'm just going to let myself in."

The door swung open, and in came Roe, adorned in a black zip-up sweatshirt, a stained gray tank, Spiderman pajama bottoms, and flip-flops. Her short hair was ruffled and frizzy. Even dead tired she walked with that fierce confidence she'd always had, her eyes trained and focused.

"I knocked," she said, coming up to me.

"I heard," I said.

"Then why didn't you answer?"

"Because I was _asleep_."

She looked me dead in the eye. "Well, must have been a bad dream. Your welcome."

I didn't want to admit to having a nightmare, otherwise I would have said thanks. "What are you doing here, Roe?"

"I got a present for you." She pulled out Annabeth's Yankees cap. "Ta-da."

Taking it from her, I ran my fingers over its seams. "This was with Thalia. How'd you get it?"

She shrugged. "When you live in the Hermes cabin, you pick up some tricks."

I eyed her. "Thalia won't be happy to find this missing."

She took a deep breath, and considered. "Well, then you might want to make sure she has it when she goes on that quest of hers, huh?"

I gave her an amused smile. "Are you trying to convince me to sneak out and follow them on their quest?"

"Hey now, Jackson, I'm only here to deliver you your Christmas present," she deflected. "You take whatever implications you think are attached to it and roll." She glanced at the door. "I should go before someone notices I'm missing." She started walking away, before pausing and giving me a look over her shoulder. "By the way, you have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

"Yeah, a Pegasus."

"A Pegasus?"

She pointed towards the door. "When I got here, there was a Pegasus just standing outside your cabin."

I walked over and swung the door open.

_Hey, boss! _

There, I came face-to-face with a black Pegasus. Its black wings spread in excitement.

"Blackjack," I said. "It's the middle of the night."

Blackjack huffed. _Why am I getting yelled at!? You let her inside._ He snorted towards Roe, who stood behind me in curiosity.

"She let herself in," I said, giving Roe a hard look.

She shrugged. "You didn't throw me out. You have to reprimand me." Patting my shoulder, she squeezed past. "I'll get out of your way now. See you whenever!"

As she scurried off, Blackjack neighed. _Do you like her, boss?_

"What!? No! No, Roe is Cam's friend. She was just…" I glanced down at Annabeth's baseball cap. "Look, don't call me boss. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

_Whatever you say, boss. You're the man. Your my number one._

"I thought Cammie was your number one?"

_You're the boss, she's the queen. She exceeds numbers._

I rubbed sleep out of my eyes. It was too early to be dealing with this. That was the problem with being a child of Poseidon: since he created horses out of sea foam, I can understand most equestrian animals, but they can understand me, too. Sometimes, like in Blackjack's case, they kind of adopt me.

See, Blackjack had been captive on board Luke's ship last summer, until we'd caused a little distraction that allowed him to escape. We really had very little to do with it, seriously, but Blackjack credited me and Cam with saving him.

"Blackjack," I said, "you're supposed to stay in the stables."

_Meh, the stables. You see Chiron staying in the stables?_

"Well…no."

_Exactly. Listen, we got another little sea friend needs your help._

"Again?"

_Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd get you._

I groaned. Anytime Cam and I were anywhere near the beach, the hippocampi would ask for help with their problems. And they had a lot of problems. Beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets, mermaids with hangnails—they'd call us to come underwater and help.

"All right," I said. "I'm coming."

_You're the best, boss._

"And don't call me boss!"

Blackjack whinnied softly. It must've been a laugh.

I looked back at my comfortable bed. My bronze shield still hung on the wall, dented and unusable. And on my nightstand was Riptide. I took it and stuffed it in my pocket.

"Come on, let's go."

* * *

**Hey, look at that! It's on time! Next chapter is Cammie's prospective, which is started but not finished, so hopefully I'm not lacking in motivation, and actually get some work done. I think that's all for this week's newsletter. Nothing to update or report. Have a good night, my nerdletts. **


	9. Chapter 7-Part Two

A LITTLE TOO BRADY BUNCH FOR ME

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

Living with sea demons was a lot more normal then I thought it would be. I mean, it was by _no _means not totally and completely freaky. But it was only the knowledge that they were monsters that scared me. Kapheira was very nice, always mothering me, as well as Makelo, who taught me all these lady like things, like sowing and cooking and how to use everyday objects to inject poison. The brothers spent a lot of time showing me weaponry and fighting, which, hey, was pretty cool. The oldest, Chalcon, gave me lessons in how to make different poisons, which wasn't far from Mr. Smith's class sometimes. The only ones making me feel unwelcome were Damon, with his dagger eyes, and Dexithea, who just plain ignored me.

At night, I'd sit in my bed and scream for Percy in my mind. Maybe it was my fault? Maybe he was angry at me for going after Annabeth. Maybe he thought I was dead.

I buried my head in my pillows to stifle my sobs. Percy would never just ignore me. If he was angry, he let me know in one way or another. There had to be a reason our connection wasn't working, and the thought had me scared to death. Maybe something happened to him. Had another monster come and attack him while I was unconscious?

One night, after dinner, I passed a room with loud crashing noise coming from underneath the door. There were several voices, the ones I recognized as Makelo, Damon, and Dexithea. Dexithea and Damon were doing the most yelling. I could tell Makelo was attempting to calm her daughter down, but obviously wasn't making much headway with that. When something unexpectedly shattered against the door, I scattered.

The next morning, as I ate my cereal alone in the dining room, Dexithea entered without much warning, slamming the door open, like some sort of prima donna. I would have rolled my eyes, had she not had the look of murder on her face, her enraged gaze on me.

I dropped my spoon just in time for her to grab me by the neck and shove me against the nearest wall. I spit my mouthful of cereal all over her arm, but her eyes never wavered, and neither did her hand, that was tightly restricting air from my lungs.

"I know you were outside my door last night," she snarled. "Do you like listening into other people's conversations? Do you find some kind of pleasure in it? Huh? Hearing me get screamed at?"

I figured now was not the best time to tell her she was the only one I heard screaming.

"No!" I gasped. "I was just walking by, and—"

"Walking by just as I'm getting chewed out? Likely story." Her grip tightened even more. "You're no better than your father. He would listen in as well."

"I hate my father."

"So you have everyone believing. But me—you don't fool me for a second."

"_I didn't ever hear_—" Tightened. Okay different approach. "_Kapheira won't be happy if you end up killing me_."

"And, what?" I should be afraid of her or something?"

"The look in your eyes says you are just the tinniest bit. And maybe that's because she can convince your dad to do what she wants. He obviously didn't want me here, yet—" I tried to shrug. "Here I am. He does what she wants, and if she doesn't want me dead, and you kill me, you'll have to face her wrath through your father as well. So think, Dexithea, because I know you're not stupid. Is killing me worth it?"

Her eyes, a deep crimson red—almost black—now that I get a closer look, pierces into me. Her blank look was probably the most terrifying part of this tense silence. Maybe saying that wasn't in my best interest.

Dexithea tilted her head to the side, studying me. "You're manipulative. Congratulations, you got a smidge of my approval."

She dropped me, then, turning me into a heap on the floor. As I gasped for breath, she took a napkin from the table and wiped my cereal off her arm. "Don't take that as me saying I believe you," she said, calmly. "'Cause I still don't. But I admire your tactics. Kudos."

She slandered away then, making sure to drop the napkin on my head before leaving. Had I not been wheezing on the floor, and kind of terrified of her, I would have given her a piece of my mind. But I was both of those things, so I didn't.

I woke up to someone flicking my ear. Groaning, rolled over. "_BEX. _Knock it off."

"Don't call me Dex."

My current situation came slamming into my like a freight train, and I bolted upright. "Dexithea?"

"Get up," she said. "You're with me today."

"I'm _with _you?"

"Kapheria mentioned how she wants us to bond. So we're going to go _bond."_

"Bond?"

"Am I stuttering?" she glared. "Just hurry up. I don't have all day to waste on you and your hearing issues. Chop chop! Let's get this over with."

Jumping out of bed, I pulled on some clothes. "What are we going to do?"

"What you said yesterday, it sort of gave me an idea." She looked me over. "Kapheira would can chew me out till she's blue in the face, and my dad will back her up one-hundred percent. _But, _if I you were involved, she wouldn't dream of yelling at me. Because you're new and don't know the ropes around here, it's not your fault when we do exactly what I've been specifically told not to do. So, we're in the clear."

"Uh…I'm a little lost…"

"Of course you are." She crossed her arms. "It's about the prank I was going to pull. You remember, you heard me get yelled at because of it."

I resisted the urge to scream at her. "I told you," I said calmly, "I wasn't listening in."

She rolled her eyes. "Still on that, are you? I know you heard. But if you insist on playing innocent, fine, I'll tell you." She smoothed my bed sheets before jumping down on them. "I planned this prank I was going to pull on the islanders."

"What islanders?" I asked.

"Shut up. But when dad found out, he thought that it would draw _unwanted attention._" The young demon scoffed. "Paranoid idiot. Anyway, we're going to do it, with or without his permission."

"Uh, okay," I said hesitantly, crossing my arms over my chest. "What were you planning, exactly?"

"Uncle Argyron just created this new poison that I plan to put into the city's water supply. When consumed, it causes fever like symptoms. Nothing to get stressed over. But in a matter of a few hours, the temperature of the blood starts to rise. The blood starts to boil after five hours. It will kill off anyone who even takes a sip of the water. Bathing in it might even do the trick."

Yes, you did read that correctly. She thought killing off an entire island of people made for a good 'prank'. I suddenly had admiration for Damon for stopping her.

"How is that a prank!" I gasped.

"Pranks are funny," she said blandly, examining her nails. "I find the thought funny. They drink their own poison. It's hilarious."

Uh, not really.

"But that's not going to go completely unnoticed," I said. "If an entire town dies off from an unknown poison, it's going to raise some questions."

Dexithea shrugged, unworried. "Ever heard of Roanoke? Do you really think they just up and vanished? No, that was one of my last pranks. Poison that disintegrated the body. That was a beautiful joke. Dad even got in on the fun. You see, none of the gods knew we were still alive—still don't—but Kapheira feared they were growing suspicious. After starting a few of those plagues and stuff, she thought it was best we just up and find a new home. So we trailed behind the people of Roanoke, settled in, and played a practical joke as celebration for our new found home." She looked wistful, as though remembering having a picnic in the park with her family and having her dad pushing her on the swing instead of killing off a bunch of settlers. "Good times, good times."

Honestly, that's when it really hit me what I was dealing with here. The gods didn't particularly like monsters, but they sort of allowed them to continue existing. But Zeus had ordered these demons to be killed and disposed of. They were taken out and forgotten for the most part. And the gods know that when a monster is killed, they just come back later. But from what I was hearing, they didn't expect these guys to reappear any time soon, if ever. They were something even the gods thought were too dangerous to leave running around. And I was starting to see why. They dissolved people for fun.

And honest to my father and his family, it disgusted me. How could it not? They were committing mass homicide. All I wanted to do was crawl out of here crying for my mommy. I actually had just about done that in my sleep the night before.

But then I heard my dear old teacher, Madam Dabney, lecturing in my ear.

_"Now, girls, part of assimilation is absorbing the traits and behaviors of those around you. You must replace who you are with who _they _are. If they eat bread with every meal, you eat bread with every meal. If they only allow one religion in their town, you take on that religion. If they believe it is honorable to kill those who have wronged them, then you take out that woman who called you names behind your back. In the world of espionage, you must be prepared to get a fingernail's distance away from doing something completely and utterly horrible. It's not meant to change who you are, but to make them believe you are just like someone they'd pass in the hall, never giving a second glance to. What you must be careful of is not losing yourself in the making of your new persona. Your guise is your armor, but make sure to take it off at the end of battle."_

When Madam Dabney had first gave us that lecture, I had thought highly enough of myself to believe that if put in that situation where I had to assimilate and blend in to my surrounding society, that I could do so with ease. I finally understood the emphasis she put into that lesson.

The only way I'd get out of this nightmare would be to pretend to get along with these monsters. And my first step as an agent undercover was to aid Dexithea with her 'prank' without protest.

"So what is the first move?" I asked.

The demon smirked. "Setting up a plan of attack, of course."

* * *

So, Dexithea and I bonded. We by no means 'got along', but we tolerated each other enough that by the time Kapheira peaked in on us (causing us to scramble to hide our plans), she was cooing at how sweet it was that Dexithea had taken me under her wing, and was treating me as one of the family. A mutual sigh of relief was shared after Kapheira left. It was pretty much the only thing we shared all day.

By the time dinner rolled around, a plan had been accumulated—and it worked for both Dexithea's prank and my escape.

Dexithea would get her hands on a vile of the poison while everyone else was starting dinner. She always came late, so no one would expect anything. The next day, me and her would leave the house, evading suspicion by claiming we were having 'girl talk'—something Kapheira and Makelo would respect, and the boys wouldn't come within a mile radius of. Once we were up on the surface, we'd head over to the water supply and taint the water. Little did Dexithea know that things weren't going to go quite that way. Once we would reach the surface, and found ourselves in a secluded area, I'd take a napotine patch from my jacket and force her to take an impromptu nap. It would give me a few hours to hopefully get out of town before she would wake up.

I went to bed that night, praying to every god in my pocket that this would work. The last thing I needed were a bunch of angry sea demons coming after me.

It took me forever to find sleep, but eventually, my mind slowed down enough to be tricked into taking a break.

My dream was…confusing to say the least. I was in a hall. Just a dark, empty hall. Looking around, there was no one, nothing, not even a light breeze. I started walking, turning down one hall to find myself in an identical one. Sighing in frustration, I briskly walked to the end of that hall, turning to be met with the same fate. I groaned, and started forward again, but stopped when I saw two shadow figures walking my way. They chattered on, completely ignoring me. I was about to ask them for help, maybe get a way out of here, when they walked right through me. It occurred to me then that my only job in this dream was as an observer.

I reluctantly followed the shadows, listening into their conversation.

"I don't think we should be focusing on finding the girl," a man said. He spoke stiffly, yet politely, as though talking to his boss. "Wherever she is, she's hardly a threat. If she hasn't popped up yet, she must be weak. When and if she resurfaces, we'll be the first to know."

"I don't _care_ if she's one foot off grid or _fifty _feet! Find her, and do it before I find you useless!" This voice was of a woman, a woman who you could tell was full of power. And anger. Lot's of anger. "We need her."

"I don't see why," the man sniffed. "If things go according to plan, she is of no use to us. She would be better off out of the way."

The woman stopped walking abruptly, causing the man to stumble.

"Every time you open your mouth, more stupid comes out," the woman ground out through what I suspected were clenched teeth. "This isn't about those stupid half-god's crusade! This is about our _real _purpose. You do remember what that is, correct?"

"Uh, yes. Yes ma'am, I do. But I don't understand—"

"She. Was. _There! _She was there when the list was delivered. She saw it with her own eyes, whether she knew it or not. She saw it."

"The list? You mean…"

"Yes, 'I mean'. That _man _is no longer useful. He won't say anything. So we bring in the next best thing. He spoke to her. She was there for a reason. She knows more than anyone thinks, and she doesn't even know it."

"I understand her importance now, ma'am," the man said, sounding much more composed and compliant. "But I'm afraid you'll have a hard time convincing the boy to allow you to take away resources to find her."

"So we'll lie to him like we do everyone else," the woman waved off. "We need the girl…because then we'll have leverage. And if the plan fails, we have a backup." The soft tone of an alert going off sounded. The woman pulled out something from her pocket. I couldn't tell what if was, but it looked like a cellphone. "It seems I wasn't the only one thinking it." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Split our resources in half. I want half of us playing soldier for the kid, and the other half searching for that girl. Understand."

"Perfectly," the man sniffed, spinning away on his heels.

"Oh, and Kent?"

The man—Kent?—paused. "Ma'am?"

"Check on how my darling boy is doing. I want to know if he's still in contact with that rouge agent."

"Of course ma'am."

Once the man was around the bend, the woman sighed, dialing a number on her phone. It rung for a bit before someone picked up. "Hello? It's me. Schedule someone to take care of agent Kent after he's preformed his duties. He's a dud." Pressing the end button, she slid it back into her pocket.

Admittedly probably my weirdest dream. But I couldn't think much of it. Spies working for Luke? I think not. And these guys didn't even seem like CIA. To willy nilly with their power. A bit too homicidal. No, it didn't mean anything. Just the stress of living with dangerous monsters getting to me.

But then my dream took a drastic turn. Suddenly, I wasn't invisible anymore. In fact, my fellow dream mate was all up in my business. There was a hand in my hair at the back of my head, holding it in place, and another bracing my neck. I could tell it was a boy from the colon and smell of men's shampoo. I opened my dream eyes to find closed lids. We were so close, I couldn't properly see his face. Whoever this boy was, I was standing on his toes. I tried to step back and give the guy some space, but my dream body and his hands wouldn't allow it.

"Cammie," he whispered, as though he was in pain. His hands gripped my tighter, pulling me impossibly closer. His forehead leaned forward and touched mine. "Gallagher Gir—"

I jolted awake by a banging on my door.

"Rise and shine!" Dexithea's voice sang outside the door. "It's bonding time, kiddo."

Groaning, I started working out the kinks in my body. What a weird dream. I went from murderous spy boss working with demigods to being up close and personal with a pretty great smelling guy. I didn't even know dream noses actually worked.

Whatever, it was nothing to worry about. They weren't real people anyway.

* * *

That night at dinner, I waited patiently at the table for Dexithea to show up. Everyone had already started digging in. Chili for supper. Several of the men hummed their appreciation, scooping more and more into their bowl.

Several minutes after dinner started, Dexithea made her appearance, sliding in. She didn't look at me as she sat down.

"You need to learn how to show up to dinner on time," Damon lectured her.

The young demon rolled her eyes. "Just pass me a bowl, would ya?"

"Don't talk to your father that way," Makelo cautioned.

"Or what, you'll send me to reform school?" Dexithea scoffed. "Tried that once, remember? I killed them all off by slipping some cyanide into the breakfast beverages."

"I don't remember that being a punishment, so much as an experiment as to how long it would take you to get rid of them," Lykos smirked.

"A full ten hours," Simon recalled. "You really held back."

Dexithea nodded. "Yes I did. Thank you."

Everyone returned to their bowls. One was passed to Dexithea, and as she scooped some out for herself, our eyes finally connected.

She gave me a small nod. It was done. She had the poison.

I never thought I'd be so relieved for having a demon possessing poisonous liquids on my side.

"Did you hear?" Nicon said, taking a large spoonful of chili. "That demigod, Luke Castellan, has really started building up that army of his."

I paused at the mention of Luke.

"Luke Castellan." Kapheira rolled his name off of her tongue. "Cammie, sweetie, do you happen to know him?"

I nodded slowly, dropping my spoon back into the bowl. "Sort of. He left camp a little while after I showed up. We didn't know each other very well."

LIES. Giant, guiltless lies.

"Well I say we join him," Hormenius said passionately. "He's letting monsters join as well. This could be our chance to finally take revenge for what they've done to us."

"No," Damon barked. "The moment we show our faces, the gods might strike us down."

"All the more reason to join," Skelmis said. "Finally, we can crawl out of the shadows. We wouldn't have to hide anymore. We'd be free to do what we did before."

"His army is little and could easily be wiped out," Damon growled.

"It's been growing at a fast rate," Nicon said. "It won't be too long before it's powerful enough to take down anyone who opposes it. The gods have angered enough creatures to make more than enough soldiers."

"Then it would be best to wait until that happens," Chalcon said calmly. "We've hidden ourselves this long. It would be stupid to throw away all we've worked for just for a slim chance at revenge."

"Agreed," Damon glared.

Kapheira smiled at me, reaching over to grasp my hand. "This is good! We'll really get to know one another before we take out those who have ruined our lives. We could turn it into a celebration! How does that sound?"

Everyone's eyes turned towards me. I forced a smiled. "Sounds great."

Again, I was really glad Dexithea got that poison.

* * *

"So are we clear on the plan?"

A sigh of frustration escaped me much louder than I had hoped it would be. A common noise this morning.

"_Yes,_" I hissed, trying to remain placid. "We've gone over it twenty times. I know what I'm supposed to do."

Dexithea nodded, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder. "Good. If you mess up, we'll both be fed to your daddy's sea monsters."

She was leading me towards the door. I didn't actually know where that was for a few reasons. One—the house is _huge, _and I still hadn't figured my way around it completely. Two—I don't think they believed I wouldn't try and escape. Not even Kapheira. I guess they were waiting until they knew for certain they could trust me.

But Dexithea didn't seem to care whether or not I was trustworthy yet. She just needed someone to help spread the blame if things went wrong. Though, if things went _right_—for me that is—she'd be taking the blame for disobeying her parents, and letting me get away.

I was almost giddy, if not completely terrified. I was getting out of here. Up there, on the surface, maybe I could get in contact with Percy. He'd come get me. We'd find Annabeth—if he hadn't already—and go home for the holidays. We'd stay up late watching old Christmas movies, and mom would wakes us up every morning for blue pancakes and eggs. Then, when break is over, I'll return to Gallagher, and I'll be back with the girls, learning how to be a spy…It sounded all a little too good to ever happen to me. My life was never as simple sounding as that. If anything, it would all go completely backwards.

I had all the stuff I needed on me. I had my leather jacket from Bex, my reading glasses from Liz, and a few breakfast rolls stuffed in my backpack next to my clothes. My bracelet from Tyson was securely fastened to my wrist, and my necklace was a reminder to me that I was not completely defenseless.

"Keep up, you little _kopros," _Dexithea drawled. "We need to get in and out before anyone comes to interrupt our _girl talk._"

She led me to a closet door—or what I always thought was a closet door. When she opened it up, it opened up into a narrow corridor with a simple wooden door at the end.

The demon teen looked at me. "Ready to go up?"

I nodded. "You got the stuff?" I asked.

She pulled out the vile of poison from her left sweater pocket. Now I knew where to look when I knocked her out and had to dispose of the stuff.

"Let's go."

"Don't even think about touching that door handle, Dexithea."

The two of us whipped around to find a fizzling Damon. Literally, his skin was jumping all around, going from tan to gray, then back again. His eyes were slits on his face, black cracks in his face. His teeth bared, and his canines extended.

Dexithea didn't seem frightened at all. "Gods, dad! Can't you let me do _anything?_"

"Go talk to your mother," the demon growled, his gaze heavy on me.

"You always pass me on to her—"

"Do. It. _Now!"_ he screamed.

Huffing, Dexithea slandered out the door, purposefully bumping into her father. "Whatever."

As soon as the door was closed, Damon stomped over and grabbed my elbow, pulling me out into the hall.

"L-look," I stuttered. "I know you told Dexithea she could pull her prank, but she just wanted to have a little fun. That's all we wanted to do."

Gripping my arm tighter, he glared down at me. "You know, I could see through your act the moment you showed up. Playing a cute, innocent little demigod. You've tried to play us this entire time. And maybe Kapheira couldn't see though it, but I have. And I've just been waiting for you to mess up."

"All I wanted to do was help Dexithea so she'd like me," I said, praying he'd believe my lie.

He yanked off my backpack and pulled out one of my rolls. "Then why pack provisions?"

"…I get hungry."

"And I guess after eating these, you'd start chewing on your socks?"

"Don't be silly. I get dirty easily. Thought I'd better pack a few changes of clothes, just in case."

"More than one?"

"I like having a selection."

He grabbed a fist full of my hair, pulling up on it till I was standing on my tippy toes. I gasped in pain, attempting to claw his hand free.

"When Kapheira pulled you from the lake, I knew nothing good could come from you," he hissed. "You were raised with those humans. Even if you do hate your father"—he leaned in close, so close I could smell his rancid breath—"you could never be one of us."

"Then why have you let me live so long?" I asked out of curiosity, immediately regretting asking. Maybe the thought hadn't occurred to him yet and I just gave him the idea. Cammie, your Percy is showing.

"You think I haven't tried?" Damon asked. "When Kapheira laid you down on the bed, I slipped you some poison."

"You _what!_" Suddenly, I could feel it. The toxin coursing through my veins. I was growing weaker. Soon, I'd be dead. I'd never get to see Percy again. My friends would never know what happened to me. I should have book it out of here the moment I found out what they were. I could feel it. My eyelids started drooping. Any moment now, I'd be gone…

Damon huffed. "Obviously I didn't give you enough to kill you. If I had, you'd be dead."

"Oh…" I guess my imagination just got away from me. "Then, why did you stop?"

"Because Kapheira kept to close an eye on you. I never had the chance. All that first dose did was bruise your mind a bit."

"Bruise it?" I asked.

He gave me a sinister smirk. "Haven't you noticed how your connection with that twin brother of yours in nearly non-existent?"

My blood froze, and along with the rest of my body. "What?" I asked in flat tone, waiting for confirmation before I reacted.

"I know about your bond. Everyone does. I knew the second you woke up you would be sending a distress call out to your brother, so I planned to kill you before you could. As I said before, that didn't work." Damon smirked. "But thankfully, it did something useful."

My blood went from icy to boiling—thankfully not literally. Before I knew it, my fist connected with the monster nose, effectively getting him to release his grip in my hair grabbing for his suspected broken nose. I dropped into a crouching position, suddenly realizing what a mistake I've made.

_A little too late to turn back now, _I thought. Getting into my fighting stance, I lunged at Damon while he was trying to stop the bleeding. He saw me coming, and took hold of the front of my shirt, flinging me down the hall. At first I was flipping head over feet, but as I reach the other end, started rolling like a log. I gasped for breath. _Okay, he's fine._

Damon's face was bloody as he stalked towards me. I pulled my necklace, transforming it into a sword as he grew closer. Climbing to my feet, I braced myself for his attack. I swung my sword toward his neck, but he just grabbed the blade. My eyes widened as I watched the blood flow down his arm.

"Fighting is good," Damon growled. "Killing you wouldn't be much fun if you took it lying down."

"I can promise you I won't disappoint," I panted, sliding one hand into my pocket, grabbing a napotine patch. "You know, you're a pretty spry _methusai, _but I wouldn't want to over work you. How about you take a nap."

At the insult, he screamed in rage, giving me half a second to apply the sticky drug covered plastic to his forehead. It immediately took effect, dropping him to his knees. I backed away, grabbing my backpack, and preparing to run. His eyes started drooping as he slowly drifted off. Not before glaring at me, and barking. Literally, he barked. But it was a loud bark, and it shook the foundation of the house. I had to cover my ears to keep them from bursting. He barked once more before falling asleep.

Suddenly there was an army of pounding feet. A door behind me opened, and Nicon poked his head out. He spotted Damon unconscious on the floor, and looked to me. He started growling, his eyes turning to slits, just like Damon's. I backed away, figuring the front door wasn't going to work anymore.

I turned and booked it in the other direction. Turning down one hall, I found Lykos, Meklo, Dexithea, and Mylas come out of their rooms. They saw the blood on my clothes, and sniffed the air. They began growling, and I went the other way. This was bad. This was really bad. This was exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen. Actually, I thought they would force me to drink poison, or something like that. Not growl and bark at me as they chased me around the house trying to maul me. Still, end result, they kill me.

They all started barking again, and the ceiling started dropping plaster. I covered my face as I coughed, running even faster.

_Gods, dad, why couldn't you have actually killed them the first time! _I hissed in my mind. _You know, I could really use some help right now. It would be nice of you to come clean up your mess!_

Having no time to continue blaming my father, I burst into the garden room. _Maybe I can find a place to hide, _I thought, checking under the shrubbery. When I heard growling behind me, I kicked it into high gear.

I found myself in the middle of the garden, standing by the fountain when the entire Telchine clan, minus Damon, surrounded me. They were all growling and glaring, except Kapheira, who looked at me with a gaze of disappointment.

"Uh, hello," I laughed nervously. "How weird is this? Us all meeting here…like this."

The growling intensified.

"Okay…I'll just be going now, if that's okay."

Their skin started bubbling like Damon's had earlier.

"I believe that is my cue to leave," I muttered, looking up into the water above me. I started raising my hands. Reluctantly, I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of the nearby water. It flowed and swirled, and I felt something inside of my mimic it's motions. I tuned out the snarls and footsteps closing in on me. Instead, I shifted, leading the water the way I wanted it to go. I raised my arms, grasping at the feeling. Once it was under my control, and the footsteps were only a few feet away from me, I let my arms fall down, bringing a rush of water with me.

Tons of pounds of freezing water washed down on us. If I hadn't been a daughter of Poseidon, I don't know if I'd have survived. I held my ground as the others were swept away in the current. Looking up through the fall of the water, I started swimming against the current. I shivered, not really realizing how cold the water was till now.

Once I was far enough up, I looked down at what used to be the Telchine's home. A swirling vortex of water seeped into the gaping hole in their roof. It took a few minutes, but I it finally slowed down, and the water calmed. I took a moment to catch my breath (weird considering I was _underwater) _before I started swimming up to the surface.

A chorus of barking sent vibrations through the water, forcing me to turn back and look. These…_things _were moving in what used to be the garden room. Suddenly, several monsters emerged. They had the face and front paws of wild dogs, and two fins as back legs. They had gray, leathery skin, and fins on their back, with a giant tail that helped stir them around. Based on their black slitted eyes, I assumed they were the Telchine, transformed.

I quickly turned back around and started swimming towards the surface. I could feel their barks and howls as they came after me. I was about to crash through to the surface when I came face to face with ice. At lease a full foot of it, probably more. I started banging on it, but it didn't even crack. Panic set in. I turned my back to the ice, and tried creating a current to stop the onslaught of monsters, but their fins helped them fight it.

Desperately, I wacked my sword against the ice, slowly chipping it away. I started panting, the feeling if swift death coming upon me. I tried not to sob as I banged my sword harder.

"Percy," I gasped. "Come in, Percy! Hear me, please just _hear me!"_

The lack of replay really did make me sob.

"Come on. Come on! Anyone! Anyone who can hear me, please!" I begged to the gods. "Come on!"

Closing my eyes, I banged my head against the iced. "Dad, _help me._"

A clawed paw dug its nails into my shoulder, pulling me down. I screamed, but all that escaped were air bubbles. I gripped my sword, ready to fight until they succeeded in killed me.

There was a whizzing sound, and the monster behind me screamed. I turned my head to see a spear sticking out of the Telchine's side. Its claws released me as it grappled to get the spear out of its body.

Surveying the surrounding water, I found a school of…mermaids?

I blinked a few times. Yep. Mermaids. Spear welding mermaids. Many of them had swords attached to their fins, and battle armor. I rubbed the spot where the Telchine had gripped me, watching as the merpeople hunted down my attackers.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake, as though something big was coming. I grabbed onto the ice above me, and peered through the haze of mermaids.

I gasped in shock at who I saw.

My dad, adorned in full body armor, wielding his trident, a mask of fury on his face.

Our eyes connected across the water, mine full of shock, and his of…_concern? _We stared at each other for a while—not exactly sure how long—before he nodded towards me. I felt like these was something more in that nod. Something I can't quite explain. All I know is that the next thing he did was push his hand out at me, and I was swept away in a current, flying far away from what might turn into a very bloody battle.

When I finally came to a stop, there was nothing mythical in sight. I looked up at the ice to find a perfectly circular hole. Swimming up to it, I could only assume it was a fishing hole, and hoped it was abandoned. It must have been, because there was an inch of ice covering it. I easily punched through it, and pulled myself through.

I entered into the cold, snowy terrain of the world above. Flopping down on the snow, I caught my breath, trying not to hyperventilate. The snow numbed my exposed skin, and I had to get up much sooner than I had hoped. My entire body shook as the full effect of the weather and my experience set in.

I was free. I'd made it out alive, and it was all thanks to my father. It didn't make sense. I mean, yes, I sort of prayed to him, but he still broke the golden rule of the gods. He intervened. He'd never done that before, no matter what sort of trouble me and Percy were in.

Sighing, I looked around for land. I spotted it on my right. There were several trucks and fishing sheds in between me and it. It looked pretty far away.

Gazing up at the sky, I realized it was early morning. So early, the sun had only just started to rise.

Adjusting my jacket and wiping the snow from my body, I started making my way towards land.

* * *

**Whoo! Early update! Exciting, huh!? I hope you all liked seeing what was up with Cam. Hoped I amused you. That's all for now. Have a nice Easter! If you don't celebrate Easter, have a wonderful Sunday!**

**Night my Nerdletts! Have a wonderful evening.**


	10. Chapter 8

I MAKE A DANGEROUS PROMISE

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

Blackjack gave me a ride down the beach, and I have to admit it was cool. Being on a flying horse, skimming over the waves at a hundred miles an hour with the wind in my hair and the sea spray in my face—hey, it beats waterskiing any day.

_Here. _Blackjack slowed and turned in a circle. _Straight down._

"Thanks." I tumbled off his back and plunged into the icy sea.

I'd gotten more comfortable doing stunts like that the past couple years. I could pretty much move however I wanted to underwater, just by willing the ocean currents to change around me and propel me along. I could breathe underwater, no problem, and my clothes never got wet unless I wanted them to.

I shot down into the darkness.

Twenty, thirty, forty feet. The pressure wasn't uncomfortable. I'd never tried to push it—to see if there was a limit to how deep I could dive. I knew most regular humans couldn't go past two hundred feet without crumpling like an aluminum can. I should've been blind, too, this deep in the water at night, but I could see the heat from living forms, and the cold of the currents. It's hard to describe. It wasn't like regular seeing, but I could tell where everything was.

As I got closer to the bottom, I saw three hippocampi—fish-tailed horses—swimming in a circle around an overturned boat. the hippocampi were beautiful to watch. Their fish tails shimmered in the rainbow colors, glowing phosphorescent. Their manes were white, and they were galloping through the water the way nervous horses do in a thunderstorm. Something was upsetting them.

I got closer and saw the problem. A dark shape—some kind of animal—was wedged halfway under the boat and tangled in a fishing net, one of those big nets they use on trawlers to catch everything at once. I hated those things. It was bad enough they drowned porpoises and dolphins , but they also occasionally caught mythical animals. When the net got tangled , some lazy fishermen would just cut them loose and let the trapped animals die.

Apparently this poor creature had been mucking around on the bottom of Long Island Sound and had somehow gotten itself tangled in the net of this sunken fishing boat. it had tried to get out and managed to get even more hopelessly stuck, shifting the boat in the process. Now the wreckage of the hull, which was resting against a big rock, was teetering and threatening to collapse on top of the tangled animal.

The hippocampi were swimming around frantically, wanting to help but not sure how. One was trying to chew the net, but hippocampi teeth just aren't meant for cutting rope. Hippocampi are really strong, but they don't have hands, and they're not (shhh) all that smart.

_Free it, lord! _A hippocampus said when it saw me. the others joined in, asking the same thing.

I swam in for a closer look at the tangled creature. At first I thought it was a young hippocampus. Cammie and I had taken several turns rescued several of them before. But then I heard a strange sound, something that did not belong underwater:

"Mooooooo!"

I got next to the thing and saw that it was a cow. I mean…I'd heard of sea cows, like manatees and stuff, but this really was a cow with the back end of a serpent. The front half was a calf—a baby, with black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle—and its back half was a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down the top and bottom, like an enormous eel.

"Whoa, little one," I said. "Where did you come from?"

The creature looked at me sadly. "Mooo!"

But I couldn't understand its thoughts. I only speak horse.

_We don't know what it is, lord, _one of the hippocampi said. _Many strange things are stirring._

"Yeah," I murmured. "So I've heard."

I uncapped Riptide, and the sword grew to full length in my hands, its bronze blade gleaming in the dark.

The cow serpent freaked out and started struggling against the net, its eyes full of terror. "Whoa!" I said. "I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net."

But the cow serpent thrashed around and got even more tangled. The boat started to tilt, stirring up the muck on the sea bottom and threatening to topple onto the cow serpent. The hippocampi whinnied in a panic and thrashed in the water, which didn't help.

"Okay, okay!" I said. I put away the sword and started speaking as calmly as I could so the hippocampi and the cow serpent would stop panicking. I didn't know if it was possible to get stampeded underwater, but I didn't really want to find out. "It's cool. No sword. See? No sword. Calm thoughts. Sea grass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism."

I doubted the cow serpent understood what I was saying, but it responded to the tone of my voice. The hippocampi were still skittish, but they stopped swirling around me so fast.

"This would be easier with two people," I sighed.

_Free it lord!_ They pleaded.

"Yeah, I got that part. I'm thinking."

But how could I free the cow serpent when she (I decided it was probably a "she") panicked at the sight of a blade? It was like she'd seen swords before and knew how dangerous they were.

"All right," I told the hippocampi. "I need all of you to push exactly the way I tell you."

First we started with the boat. it wasn't easy, but with the strength of three horsepower, we managed to shift the wreckage so it was no longer threatening to collapse on the baby cow serpent. Then I went to work on the net, untangling it section by section, getting lead weights and fishing hooks straightened out, yanking out knots around the cow serpent's hooves. It took forever—I mean, it was worse than the time I'd had to help Cammie brush her hair after a day at the amusement park. The whole time, I kept talking to the cow fish, telling her everything was okay while she mooed and moaned.

"It's okay, Bessie," I said. Don't ask me why I started calling her that. It just seemed like a good cow name. "Good cow. Nice cow."

Finally, the net came off and the cow serpent zipped through the water and did a happy somersault.

The hippocampi whinnied with joy. _Thank you, lord!_

"Mooooo!" The cow serpent nuzzled me and gave me the big brown eyes.

"Yeah," I said. "That's okay. Nice cow. Well…stay out of trouble."

Which reminded me, I'd been underwater for how long? An hour, at least. I had to get back to my cabin before Argus or the harpies discover I was breaking curfew.

I shot to the surface and broke through. Immediately, Blackjack zoomed down and let me catch hold of his neck. He lifted me into the air and took me back toward the shore.

_Success, boss?_

"Yeah. We rescued a baby…something or other. Took forever. Almost got stampeded."

_Good deeds are always dangerous, boss. You saved my sorry mane, didn't you?_

I couldn't help thinking about my dream, with Annabeth crumpled and lifeless in Luke's arms. Here I was rescuing baby monsters, but I couldn't save my friend.

As Blackjack flew back toward my cabin, I happened to glance at the dining pavilion. I saw a figure—a boy hunkered down behind a Greek column, like he was hiding from someone.

It was Nico, but it wasn't even dawn yet. Nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up?

I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was more time for Nico to tell me about his Mythomagic game. But something was wrong. I could tell by the way he was crouching.

"Blackjack," I said, "set me down over there, will you? Behind that column."

* * *

I almost blew it.

I was coming up the steps behind Nico. He didn't see me at all. He was behind a column, peeking around the corner, all his attention focused on the dining area. I was five feet away from him, and I was about to say _What are you doing? _real loud, when it occurred to me he was pulling a Grover: he was spying on the hunters.

There were voices—two girls talking at one of the dining tables. At this ungodly hour of the morning? Well, unless you're the goddess of dawn, I guess.

I took Annabeth's magic cap out of my pocket and put it on.

I didn't feel any different, but when I raised my arms I couldn't see them. I was invisible. And it was cool.

I crept up to Nico and sneaked around him. I couldn't see the girls very well in the dark, but I knew their voices: Zoe and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.

"It _cannot _be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me…and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, you have to pick another."

Zoe growled. "The only other I would think about taking is Karolyn, but after your brother put that gum in both her and Leah's hair, they won't be able to get them separated in time. That gum is like cement, and it went all the way down to their scalps."

I looked back at Nico, half disappointed, half proud.

"I'm sorry," Bianca said, shaking her head. "I can't believe he did that. I don't even know where he got it. I tried talking to him, but he just didn't listen."

"Typical boy," Zoe scoffed. She looked up to the sky. "We must leave at first light. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one."

"In the land without rain," Bianca reminded her. "But that can't be here."

"It might be," Zoe said, though she didn't sound convinced. "That camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even weather, is allowed in without permission. It _could _be a land without rain."

"But—"

"Bianca, hear me," Zoe said. "I do not wish to lose another hunter, and I don't wish to take another camper. Their fate might end up being worse than Phoebe's."

Bianca went silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

Nico scooted out of their way. He was faster than me.

As the girls sprinted down the steps, Zoe almost ran into me. She froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand crept toward her bow, but then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoe followed her out of the pavilion.

I could tell what Nico was thinking. He took a deep breath and was about to run after his sister when I took off the invisibility cap and said, "Wait."

He almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to find me. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here the whole time. Invisible."

He mouthed the word _invisible. _"Wow, cool."

"How did you know Zoe and your sister were here?"

He blushed. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don't…I don't sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps and them whispering, and I kind of followed."

"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," I guessed.

"How did you know that?"

"Because if Cammie was going, I'd be only a step behind her." I tilted my head down at him. "But you can't go."

He looked defiant. "Because I'm too young?"

"Because they won't let you. They'll catch you and send you back here. And…yeah, because you're too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die."

In that moment, Thalia walked past. Both Nico and I quickly hid behind a column, but it was too late. She had seen us, and she came to investigate.

"Nico?" she asked, shocked. She looked at me, less surprised. "Percy?"

I waved, pulling out into the open. "Hi, Thalia."

She stared at me intensely for about a minute before getting his hard look on her face. "Nico, go back to your cabin. Now."

Nico looked up at me, as though asking me how much trouble he was in.

Thalia pointed for emphasis. "Go."

Reluctantly, he did, trudging back to the Hermes cabin. Thalia came up to me, grabbing my arm, and dragged me to the Big House.

"Oh, come on, Thalia," I groaned. "I wasn't doing anything bad, I swear! I was helping some of the hippocampi with a problem, and I found Nico, and was trying to convince him to go back to his cabin—"

"Shut up, Jackson," she hissed. "Just stay quiet and don't say anything."

Thalia yanked me inside, pushing me over to the side. Inside the Big House stood Zoe, Bianca, Grover and Chiron. They all looked down at me, confused.

"What are thee doing here?" Zoe asked with distain.

I shrugged. "Uh…"

Thalia folded her arms across her chest. "Since Phoebe can't go, we have to take Percy," she said.

_Oh, this won't turn out well, _I thought, debating covering my ears before Zoe reacted.

It took half a second for her to protest. "_NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW A BOY TO OCCOMPANY US! OUT OF THE QUESTION!" _she screamed, probably waking up all of New York.

"He has to go," Thalia argued. "We can't do this without him."

"Thalia," Chiron said calmly, probably for Zoe's sake. "As admirable as it is for you to do this for Percy, this is the Hunter's quest. If Zoe does not want him along, then he will not be going. I already explained this to Percy."

"I understand Zoe has _issues—" _Thalia rolled her eyes "—but I'm not saying this to spite her. Percy is needed on this quest."

"In what ways," the Huntress hissed.

"For one, he can track down his sister."

That sickening silence I'd gotten to know all too well arose again. Anytime Cammie was even hinted at around me, it appeared, and I was liking it less and less. Which I didn't even know was possible.

"The boy's sister is most likely dead," Zoe said. "The evidence all points to it."

"Except that I know she's not," Thalia said.

I stood, despite feeling a bit weak in the knees. "How? How do you know?" I asked, going up to her.

She looked over at me. "I had a dream. Cammie was on a train heading west. 'The sixth shall meet them their', remember?"

"How do you know it means something," Bianca asked. "Maybe it was just a dream?"

Grover rose a hand, as though asking to speak. "Percy, you mentioned getting feelings, like Cammie was still connected to you."

I nodded. "They are faint, but they're there."

Grover looked to Chiron, looking eager. "She could have survived the fall, being a daughter of Poseidon.

Thalia smiled thankfully at Grover. "She mentioned having to go get Artemis. She might know where she is."

Zoe perked up. "Then we will find her on our way. There is no need for the boy to come along."

"On the contrary," Chiron said softly. "If Percy's connection with Cammie is coming back, it would be most helpful having him along."

"Their bond works almost like a tracking device," Thalia told her. "He can find her wherever if the bond is working. And they can talk across long distances, too."

"He can easily shave off any extra time used trying to find her," Grover said. "He'd be very useful."

Zoe was about to argue again, but Bianca stepped in. "Anything to make the search for Artemis quicker," she said, looking up at the older girl.

I could tell the elder hunter was debating her choices very thoroughly. "He could call when he found her," she debated weakly.

I shook my head. "If she ends up needing to move in a hurry, I can't keep calling you back. It would be best if I was there."

Zoe growled under her breath, cursing. "How long will it take you to pack?"

"Give me five minutes," I said, already running out the door.

I nearly skipped with glee. Thalia had proof that my sister was alive, and Zoe was voluntarily—I use the word lightly—allowing me to come along. That really cuts out the middle man by not having to run away on my own. And did I mention—THERE IS PROOF MY SISTER IS ALIVE! I literally did cartwheels and flips all the way to my cabin.

I didn't really think about what I was packing, only that I had to do it before Zoe decided to leave without me. Thalia snuck in, and started helping me grab supplies.

"This is _great,"_ I grinned. "Thank you, Thalia. Thank you so much." Stuffing a few t-shirts in my bag, I turned and gave her a giant hug. "Thank you!"

Thalia pulled away, blushing. "Percy—"

I grabbed her shoulders. "You have to tell me all the details of your dream. Was she okay? Did she look healthy? You have to tell me everything. Every little detail matters. But not right now. Tell me when we're on our way out." I turned back to my stuff. "I only have five minutes. Probably three now."

"Percy I made it up."

Suddenly my lucky pair of underwear felt really heavy. "You…_what?_"

"I made it up so there would be an excuse for you to go," she explained. She scuffed her shoe against the floor boards of my cabin, looking really guilty. "I'm sorry, Percy, but I do think we need you. And if I have to go on a cross country trip with Zoe, I'm going to need more backup then Grover." She looked up at me with pleading eyes. "I just thought whatever got you on this quest would be worth it."

On one hand, I was pretty upset Thalia yanked my chain like that. For the first time since losing Cammie, I really did, one-hundred-and-ten percent believe she was alive. Now I was back to my measly 99.9%. But Thalia was right. Anything to get me on the quest was worth it. And I still believed both my sister and Annabeth were alive, so I guess not too much harm there.

_Other than extreme disappointment._

Shaking my head, I began to pack again. "It's okay, Thal. You're right. Whatever it takes." And I truly meant it.

"Are you sure?" Thalia asked. "You sure you don't want to douse me with a creek again?"

I smirked lightly. "Try not to tempt me." Putting the last of my stuff in my bag, I zipped it up. "I do have one question, though."

She quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do you actually believe she's alive?"

She didn't seem shocked by the question. She just crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against the door frame. "I don't have to ask if you believe she is, because I know you do. And you believe that because you are her big brother, and you know her the best, and you know she is just too stubborn to die like that. So, in this case—and this case only—I think you'd know best."

I smiled down at the floor. "She is pretty stubborn, isn't she?"

"She's worse then you. Now come on, before Zoe decides to leave without us."

Running down the steps, we started booking our way towards the hill. I paused when I saw a figure running up towards me.

"Nico?"

Thalia looked back at him and frowned. "I told you to go back to your cabin."

He grinned, ignoring Thalia. "You're going!"

"Uh, yeah," I said. "Something…came to light, and it would be useful to have me along."

He nodded, as though in understanding, but then grabbed me and started pulling me away. "Nico!" I protested. "Nico, I have to be to the top of the hill thirty seconds ago!"

He stopped a few feet away. "You have to promise me something, Percy," he said. "You have to promise to keep my sister safe."

"I…that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she's got Zoe, Grover, Thalia—"

"But you know what it is like to have a sister you don't trust with anyone else," he said.

And I did. Truly, I got it. Never, not once in our entire lives, had I put my trust in someone else to take care of my sister. It was my job, and no one could do it better than me. It was my biggest problem with having her go to Gallagher. If she got into any kind of trouble, it would be up to those spies to take care of her. And people who hold an occupation in lying don't seem like the most trustworthy to me.

So, yeah, I understood where Nico was coming from. But still, it was a huge promise.

"This is a dangerous quest," I said. "Very dangerous. Some of us are going to die—"

"Then just promise me you'll bring her back alive. Promise me that much."

Even then, I had a hard time saying yes. "I'll do my best. I promise that."

He nodded, looking satisfied. "Then get going! Good luck!"

He ran off, then, hopefully back to his cabin. Walking back up to Thalia, she gave me a questioning look.

"What did he want?"

I looked back at him. "Tell you on the way. I can feel Zoe's glare from all the way over here."

* * *

**So, update! Yay! Next chapter is Cam's prospective, so stay tuned for that. I was so tempted to upload this yesterday, but I want to make update day Sunday, and keep things constant, but yeah, self control is hard. Once all the chapters are finished, I'll probably loose control and just rapid fire them out or something. **

**That's all for now, so night Nerdletts :)**


	11. Chapter 9-Part One

I GET SOME UNEXPECTED VISITORS

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

There are a few emotions that would be totally appropriate for me to be feeling after that whole shebang.

Extreme delight, for one. I did just escape from a secret demon lair. And with barely a scratch on me. After expecting only the worse outcome from the moment I learned what the Telchine were, this was really a huge step up. Also I got to see mermaids. And may I say, a few of those mermen were looking pretty swell in the heat of battle. I was rescued by hot mermen. If you don't think that's awesome, you don't know what awesome is.

But there could also be boiling anger. I mean, yeah, I got out, but still. Here I was in the middle of some unknown frozen body of water in some unfamiliar place, knee deep in snow for most of my journey with nothing but a leather jacket and soaked through converses that were beyond useless now. Not to mention, I fell in three fishing holes already. They can really sneak up on you. My ears were pulsing, my nose felt like it was going to fall off, and my fingers were numb. But what's worst then that, I was still completely in the dark about what happened to my friends and brother. I would have every right to feel absolutely awful.

But honestly, all I was feeling was shock and confusion. My dad showed up. Seriously. What's up with that? I've been in dangerous situations before. Far more dangerous. But he never showed up then. What made this time different? It didn't add up. There had to be some kind of alternative motive. A catch. Fine print. _Some explanation! _I needed to know, it was driving me crazy!

Sighing, I decided to rest my feet. I sat down on a snowbank that lined the icy road I had found, only to fall through. I groaned, but didn't try and get up. I was too tired. It was only till I heard motors that I sat up far enough to see what was going on. Two snowmobiles were coming my way, and I debated hiding. But as they came closer, and started stalling, I realized they were just as surprised to see me as I was to see them.

They stopped right in front of me. A man and a woman from the looks of it. And I could only tell because one had long hair sticking out from their hat with a lithe body, and the other was tall and burly looking. They both wore bright large winter jackets with snow-pants, giant insulated boots, gloves, face masks that covered everything but their eyes, goggles, and stalking caps. Not an inch of them was exposed.

The one with long hair pulled up their goggles and pulled down the face mask, confirming my suspicion that they were a woman. She looked astonished to see me, and for a second I wondered if she knew me, somehow.

"What on _earth _is wrong with you, young lady?" she gasped, climbing off her snowmobile.

"Uh, I'm sorry, what?"

"Are you crazy?" the man said, uncovering his own face and standing up. "Do you realize how cold it is out here?"

"Um…very?"

"Below zero with windshield," the woman said, coming up to me, pulling me up. "You must be freezing."

Wrapping my arms around myself, I nodded. "A bit, I suppose."

"How did you get this far out in just that?"

Pausing, I made up a story as quick as I could. "I…I was with my…_cousin, _and we were fishing. In our fishing shack. She thought it would be funny to take my jacket and stuff, and run off on our snowmobile. But she hasn't come back in a few hours, so I thought I should start walking back."

"Do you think she might have crashed?" the woman asked the man.

"I didn't see anything."

I shook my head, praying they wouldn't send out a search party. "No, I'm sure she's fine. She's just a jerk. Does this to me all the time. Last time she left me over night."

They both looked pretty horrified. The woman took off her gloves and handed them to me. "Come on. We're taking you to our sight to get warmed up."

"Oh, that's not necessary."

"Kiddo, it's about a mile and a half walk to Madeline Island," the man said. "You won't make it in just that."

The woman put her arm around me and stirred me to the snowmobile. She made me take the gloves and put them on.

"You need these," I protested.

"My fingers don't look like they're about to fall off," she said. "Jeff, you got two jackets on?"

Jeff nodded, shedding a layer. "It's big, but it'll break the wind. Put the hood up, keep your head covered."

I did as I was told, instantly grateful for the warmth. I climbed on behind the woman, who pulled her mask back up, and goggles down. "By the way, the name's Laurie."

"Cammie."

We shook hands before starting the snowmobiles and leaving the me shaped dent in the snow behind. We zipped across the ice at amazing speed. I couldn't see anything, the freezing wind blew in my face so hard it made my eyes water. I hid my face behind Laurie, my hair whipping behind me.

We must have drove half a mile or so when we started to slow down, and I looked up. We came up on this camp of about ten people, most adults sitting around ice fishing holes, a few kids sledding down the giant banks of snow surrounding the clearing. There was a wooden fishing shack over to the side. Everyone looked up when we pulled up.

"Hey, Laurie!" one guy yelled. "Pick up a hitchhiker?"

"She was stranded a little bit aways," she explained, jumping off the machine. "She needs to warm up. Her cousin thought she was going to be funny and leave her without any snow gear."

The adults shook their heads in clear disapproval of my fake jerk of a cousin. "There's some extras the seat compartment in the shack," one lady said. "Get her bundled up."

Laurie walked me over to the ice fishing shack, and let me inside. I was instantly hit with a wave of warmth, probably coming from the stove on the other end. There was a pair of teenagers inside, not wearing their jackets or snow pants.

"Kay kids, hop up," Laurie said. "I need to get in that compartment."

They did, one of the girls saying, "Quick, close the door before you let all the heat out."

I closed the door behind me, gravitating over to the stove.

"Wow," the other girl said. "You are pretty brave walking around in just that."

"My cousin stole my snow stuff and left me behind," I explained.

The older of the two laughed. "Wow! That's a good one!"

"No it is not, Kayla" Laurie scolded, glaring at them. "And if you even think about trying, I'll make sure your mother grounds you for a month."

Kayla sighed. "Gosh, Aunt Laurie. I just thought it was funny."

"It's not." She handed me a jacket, blanket, insulated boots, hat and gloves. I handed hers back, and Jeff's jacket, thanking her. "You get bundled up, I'm going to go back outside."

I nodded, pulling off my converses. "Thanks."

As the door shut behind her, Kayla moved over, letting me sit right next to the stove. "Here, put your shoes on top. They'll dry faster."

"You have no idea how amazing this feels," I sighed, sitting down.

"I can only guess. I'm Kayla, this is my cousin Sammy." Sammy waved. "It'll be a while before your shoes are dry. We're just starting a game of War." She held up a stack of cards. "Wanna join? We can play three person."

I nodded. "Only if you're prepared for defeat."

* * *

After my shoes were dry and I had won three out of ten games of war, Laurie told me she'd take me back to the island. Saying goodbye to Kayla, Sammy, and Jeff, I hopped back on the flying ice machine, and let myself be whisked off to the mysterious island.

Madeline Island, actually. Not too mysterious. This must be the place Dexithea was planning on playing her deadly prank on. Laurie said her and her family had a big cabin out here. They came during the winter when the tourists weren't really around. After meeting Laurie and her family, I was extremely glad Dexithea's prank didn't go through.

She took me up to some restaurant called Grandpa Tony's, and I handed her back all of her stuff. "Thanks for saving me out there," I said.

She hugged me, rubbing my back. "Glad you didn't turn into a popsicle. Do you need me to call your parents, or someone? I'd really like to give that cousin of yours a piece of my mind."

I shook my head. "No, I'll just use their phone. My mom will come pick me up."

"Okay, sweetie. You take care."

She waved to me as she walked out the door. A waitress came up to me and asked if I needed a table. I sat down at a table on the second floor, preferring some privacy while I ate. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, and they had one whipped out and ready to go. I started chowing down, enjoying the juicy goodness when someone sat down across from me. The smell of sea salt and ocean breeze wafted my way, yet I was still unprepared when I looked up.

"Dad?"

He looked vastly different from when I had seen him a few hours ago. He was pulling off a winter jacket, leaving him in a blue flannel and jeans. He almost looked local, except for his deep tan. He no longer held his trident.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked, dropping my burger.

He shrugged. "Getting a bite to eat?" He waved the waitress over. "Fish sandwich, please. With tartar sauce on the side." She nodded, and headed off to place his order. He turned back to me, folding his fingers together and twiddling his thumbs.

"You're going to eat one of your subjects?" I asked, realizing the irony of a sea god eating fish.

"Usually I only let the bad fish get caught," he said, waving off my concern. "You know, criminals, and such."

"Criminal fish?"

He simply shrugged, holding his hands up as though it confused even him.

A few beats of silence followed, until I said, "You know you're breaking one of the gods' golden rules, right?"

He nodded. "I've broken two today, actually."

"I noticed."

I really battled myself before saying what I did next. "Not that I'm not grateful, 'cause I guess I am…" _whoo, that was difficult to say, no joke…_ "but why did you do it? You know, uh…Uncle _sky-guy _isn't going to be happy you did that."

A flash of, dare I say, amusement crossed over my father's face. Once it was gone, he became solemn. "I was there because he told me to be, actually."

Well that cleared up nothing! It made even less sense! Zeus hates me. Why one earth would he send my father to save my life?

Seeing my frustration, my father explained. "Cameron, I would like to say that I did what a father should and came to rescue you. I wish things could be like that. But I was there because Zeus wanted the Telchine out of the picture."

"Why not before?" I asked. "I mean, they've been there for who knows how long. You had to have known they were there."

He shook his head. "I didn't. They were protected against me, somehow. Until a few days ago, every god and goddess believed they were dead. But when you started praying for help, we were alerted of their existence."

"Wait, you guys actually heard my prays?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know." I leaded back. "I guess I always thought prays were like mail you could let stack up and ignore."

My father shook his head. "It's not like that. It's hard to explain."

I gestured for him to continue with his story.

"With all the…conflict, Zeus thought it better not to allow them to stir up any trouble. And they can, I would know," he sighed. "Anyway, they were supposed to be dead in the first place, so I made sure to finish the job this time."

"You thought they were dead the first time you 'finished the job'," I said. "How can you be sure this time?"

"I asked Hades to check in on Tartarus to make sure they arrived there. Something I failed to do the first time." He ran a hand over his face. "It is truly over this time."

"I guess Kapheira is furious with you."

He shook his head. "Not even Kapheira was spared this time. She wouldn't have wanted to live without them anyway."

I picked up a fry, and dipped it in some ketchup. I guess it was kind of sad. They had been fairly nice to me, especially Kapheira. But they were monsters, and killers, and sometimes the nymph's kindness made it difficult to remember that sometimes. "So, they seemed to really hate you. It's just a feeling I got, you know, from the statue they had of you with your head blown off. They were shocked you turned against them. They said they raised you."

"In a way, I suppose they did," he nodded. He glanced up when the waitress returned with his fish sandwich. He thanked her as she left. He lifted the top bun, peering underneath. "Yep, this is Martin. He was a jerk." He dropped the bun, and lifted the sandwich up to his lips, taking a wholesome bite.

"Some people might say that's disturbing," I mentioned, pointing to the sandwich with one of my fries.

"And some people may say that goldfish only have three seconds of memory, but that's just not true. Those little suckers hold grudges forever, and they never forgive you. Never. Devious little creatures. Nothing more vicious than a gold fish. I don't know why they play dumb for mortals, but it might have something to do with me saying they can't act, and this is their way of proving it." Dad shook his head. "Whatever, they're the ones who have to live in bowls."

"Don't know what that has to do with you eating your subjects."

"It's all about perception," he explained. "Not to mention, a fun bit of trivia."

"You were saying something about the Telchine raising you," I reminded him.

"Ah, yes. I was a full grown man when I was released from my father's stomach. But unlike my brother Zeus, I had never known the world. So, I was placed in the Telchine's care, and they taught me things I otherwise didn't know. Time went by; I was now fully mature in all aspects of life, and ready to help my brother rule. We were rebuilding, after our father's reign came to an end. There were certain things that had to go. Certain monsters who had no place anywhere in our new kingdom. The Telchine were a powerful and extremely destructive brand of monster. But I insisted they be spared. They were family to me, despite their nature. But then, there was that incident…"

"You mean in Rhodes?" I asked.

Another nod. "It was decided that they held too many of the ideals Kronos did." My father sighed, unhappily. "Zeus ordered me to take care of the issue. Honestly, I'm glad it wasn't pushed onto someone else. It wouldn't have felt right."

"I suppose now people are going to think you let them get away that first time," I pondered.

"Without a doubt they are," Poseidon smirked. "We gods are very judgmental beings."

It was really weird, to say the least. Here in front of me was a man I had sworn to hate for the rest of my life for abandoning my family, and we were having story time, and talking about goldfish who can't act, and the jerk named Martin he was now eating. I momentarily forgot to treat him with distain. Though he did save my life, so I should be sort of nice to him, even if it was under orders.

He had answered most of my questions, but there was still one I was confused on.

"Okay, so you've accomplished your 'mission'," I said, using my fingers to make quotation marks. "So why stick around and have lunch with me?"

He wiggled his fish sandwich at me. "I heard the fish was amazing."

Now I know where my difficult personality came from.

"Seriously, though," I insisted. "What's the reasoning behind talking to me? Why would Zeus allow this?"

"He wouldn't."

I resisted the urge to face-palm. "I'm going to need a little more than that."

"I made my brother a deal. I take care of the Telchine, and he allows me to speak to you."

I propped my head up with my arm, feeling a headache coming on. "Okay, but _why. _Why do you want to talk to me? What do you want? I mean, Percy understands you abandoning us more than I do. So why not ask to talk to him? He's worth the trouble, unlike me."

"Because I don't want one on my children to understand and the other not." He leaned forward, and I could smell the ocean again. "I know you hate me for leaving you and Perseus when you were babies, but I had to. Could you imagine it? The life we would have lived? You think the monsters were bad when you were unaware and covered by the thing's horrible stench?" By thing, I think he meant Smelly-Gabe, Percy and I's former stepdad. "Imagine having a god turned human hanging around. My years have made me several enemies, and in the weakened state of a mortal, our family would be in constant danger. You would never live a normal life, not even relatively."

It was no ideal lifestyle by any means. I don't even know how it would work, but it didn't stop me from wanting it. From wanting to have my father in my life. Someone to teach me how to beat up bullies, and tell boys to back off. Though, I had a hard time seeing the man sitting in front of me doing that. The thought of having a god like figure bring all his fury down on a boy who wanted to ask me to the dance was kind of an odd thought.

I ducked down a bit, hiding my face. I didn't like this. I didn't like it at all. I didn't want to understand, I wanted to be angry. Being angry was so much easier than having to except that my father abandoned my family, causing us to live this life where we are poor, and my mother was abused by a smelly jerk. It made me angry, and I wanted nothing more than to hold onto that.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, not looking at him.

"Because I want you to understand," my father told me. "I want you to understand I had to leave you guys, and that just because I never visited, doesn't mean I…" he struggled to say the next part. "You are my children. I may be ancient, but I'm still a father." He ducked his head to make eye contact with me. "I never visited, not only because it was a rule, but because it wouldn't be fair to you. You wouldn't have wanted it."

I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, and I struggled to keep them at bay. _You better keep it together, or I swear…_

"I would have wanted to know who my father was," I insisted.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You wouldn't. Even if I got an entire day with you once a year, I'd still be the absent father who was gone for no reason at all."

"But at least we'd know you!" I insisted. "I would know something about the other half of myself."

"What's worse?" he asked, looking me dead in the eye. "Thinking I was dead and never knowing me, knowing there is nothing you could do to get me to come back, or meeting me only once a year and wondering what you could have done to make me stay?"

A single tear did escape now, and it made me so angry that I was showing this man weakness that I flung the single drop full force at the wall. When the second one started to fall, my father reached over tentatively and caught it before it could receive the same treatment.

"I didn't tell you this just to upset you," he said. "I know how much hate you have for me pent up. And I can't blame you. But I'm not worth all the effort it takes to put that much hate into something. I couldn't be the father you needed, and I left you with a man who was no better than dirt. So I'm not worth all this resentment. Don't waste your time hating me when I don't deserve to be anything more than a passing thought." He picked up another tear. "Don't waste these on me. Don't let the hate hold you back."

I let out a teary chuckle. "Yeah, but look at where my hate for you got me last time."

He smiled softly. He looked old in that moment. Very old. He looked like his ancient self. Placing a set of bills on the table, he stood up, began to walk away. With his back now facing me, I let the tears fall down. He stopped right behind me, turning back. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I don't expect complete understanding yet, Cameron." He smiled. "I'd be very concerned if you stopped being stubborn now."

My body shook silently. "Percy deserves to talk to you more than me. He _deserves _this, not me. He deserves the explanation. You should talk to him. He's earned it."

He said nothing, just gripped my shoulder tighter, whispering a goodbye as he left.

Now I was alone with my burger and Martin with a side of tartar sauce.

* * *

After that extremely emotionally tiresome talk with my dad, I decided I should find a place to stay the night. It was midafternoon, but in this weather, I didn't want to take my chances not finding somewhere. I picked up a town map on my way out of the restaurant. Looking at the map, I realized this Island was pretty small, and by no means set up for winter tourists. There was a single inn, and knowing I would get asked way too many questions if I rented a room, my only option would be squatting out in the forest. And if I was going to go sleep with the bunnies, I'd need some supplies.

Down the road from Grandpa Tony's was a little grocery store, creatively named the Island Store. First thing I did was grab a winter jacket, hat and gloves. Then I picked out two navy blue fleece blankets with the name Madeline Island stitched onto it in white. I also grabbed a heavy duty black backpack with what looked to be a picture of the Island ironed onto it. They sure do have a thing for their island. Must be a tourist spot, though I saw no one outside. I put a lighter in my basket as well, along with some bottled waters, candy bars, trail mix, and microwavable popcorn. Who knows, maybe the bears were more advanced than most people think.

I added up the price, and found it reached far more than my spending limit. I looked up at the cashier, the only other person in the store, as he walked into the back room.

I felt bad for what I was about to do, but the ends meet the means. As soon as he was out of sight, I started shoving the things in the backpack. I glanced up often, sweating slightly at the thought of getting caught. I'd rather not be on TV's Most Wanted Youngers list again. Zipping up, I swiftly made my way to the door. Halfway out, and I was sure I was home free.

"Hey!"

_Forget it. You've never been that lucky._

Looking back, I saw the cashier had returned, briskly marching my way, a ferocious expression on his face.

"Aw, Hades," I groaned, sliding into spy mode. I glanced around, surveying the store for surveillance cameras. A single one in the far right corner. I turned to meet the man fully, my back to the camera, keeping my head low so he couldn't properly see my face.

"I hope you weren't planning on taking off with all that stuff," he said angrily. "You think I'd just let you take it without paying? Ungrateful brat. Hand it all over, right now. Jacket and hat included."

I started pulling the hat off slowly, much too slowly for his tastes. He started to reach for the hat himself, giving me the opportune opening. I shoved the hat over his face, covering his eyes, making him flail out in panic as I turned my back to him, ducking from the camera's sight. Grasping his arm, I held it firmly in place with my elbow as I pinched down on his fleshy thumb, hitting a pressure point. He fell to his knees screaming, screaming that I broke his arm. I didn't actually, it just felt like I did. Side effect of that particular pressure point.

I ended it with an elbow to his face, leaving him sprawled on the floor, disoriented. I pulled the hat off his face, placing it back on my own head, grabbing a pack of gum on my way out.

Not a car nor a person was outside to hear the man's cries to stop me. I booked it down the road, passed several shops and houses, before all there was, was the road, the trees, and me. But I didn't stop running, not for a few miles. Every time a car would come rolling down the road, I'd hit the ditch, blending in with the snow that had turned black by dirty car wheels. The man might have called the cops. Finally, I decided maybe the road wasn't such a good idea, and hit the woods.

Trudging through a snow covered forest was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. The trees were really packed in tight here. I was jumping and ducking more often than I was actually walking. It was like I was back at Gallagher, running through the obstacle courses that simulated any terrains we might come in contact with in our careers. Though normally they weren't this cold. And they never went on this long. It felt like hours before I found my saving grace.

A cabin. A cabin that looked like it was on the edge of falling apart. It was perfect. The mile long driveway was overgrown with fallen trees and large snow dunes. It looked like whoever owned this place wouldn't be making a trip anytime soon.

I yipped and hollered with joy as I ran to the door. Jiggling the handle, I found it to be locked. I pulled out my lock picking kit, quickly opening the door. The inside smelled of rust and decay, but there was a bed, a fireplace and a roof over my head, which was more then what I was expecting, so I had no complaints. I quickly did a scan of the room, checking for possible threats. There were a few spiders nesting in their web, but I'm not Annabeth, so it was fine. The cabin was simple. The only technological advances were the phone and the lights that didn't even work.

I set my backpack down on the bed, walking over to the wood pile in the corner. The stuff looked dry, only a few blocks rotted. I started a fire, warming my hands on its bright flame. After they were defrosted, I pulled out my GPS, checking to see where exactly Madeline Island was.

"Wisconsin, huh?" I wondered aloud. "It's a tiny little place, isn't it?" In fact, I was in the very middle of the island at the moment, a few miles away from the focal point of town.

Sliding my GPS back into my secret pocket, I got up and picked up the phone, which surprisingly still worked.

_Who do I call? _I thought. _Do I call anyone at all? What if this sends out a flare out to monsters saying 'Here I am, come eat me!' _

After debate, I thought it would be best to call Chiron. It was most likely where Percy would be, and maybe he'd send some help. The phone rang several times, and I prepared for no one to pick up.

_Ring! Ring! Rin— "_Hello?"

I jolted. Not because I was surprised by someone picking up, just because I was surprised by _who _picked up.

"Roe?" I asked. "Roe, what are you doing in the Big House?"

There was a scuffle, and Roe started talking very softly. "_Cammie? Cam, is that you?_"

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing in the Big House?"

"Uh, Chiron was talking to me earlier. I stuck around."

"Oookay, but what are you doing at camp? I thought you went home for the school year?"

There was a long pause on the other end, and I thought the connection dropped. I prepared to hang up, but she spoke up again.

"Where are you?" Roe asked, completely ignoring my question.

Deciding I didn't have time to waste, and would drill her about it later, I told her exactly where I was.

"Hey, did Percy make it to camp?" I asked. "I want to talk to him quick; explain why the connection broke."

"Yeah, he made it here," Roe said. "Don't worry, he's fine."

"Okay, but can I talk to him?"

"I'll make sure Chiron sends someone to come get you."

"_ROE. Can I talk to Percy, now please?"_

"I'll see you soon."

And then she hung up on me. I pulled the phone away, glaring at it. "What on Gaea's green earth was that!?"

Suddenly, exhaustion kicked in, and all I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep. Pulling out my fleece blankets, I curled up on the bed, using my new coat as a pillow. I snuggled in, enjoying the warmth the fire sent my way. Now that I was all comfortable, I couldn't seem to sleep. Thoughts of what had happened this year swirled in my head.

Matthew Morgan, the headmistress's husband, went MIA earlier that year. Rachel was devastated. She ended up taking leave for a while, but came back a few months later. I guess this wouldn't have affected me so much if I hadn't been the last one to see him. But no one but Madam Dabney, Vanessa and me knew that. We had run into each other at a carnival, and he knew who I was. He actually knew everything about the demigod world. He was so kind, my heart ached knowing that he may never be found again. Rachel wasn't the same. She always had this far off look, as though waiting for her husband to walk through the doors and announce he was back. It made me feel so guilty I couldn't say anything. Not that there was anything to say. Nothing really happened when I met him.

There was also Professor Buckingham, who decided that next semester she was going to become semiretired, meaning she'd only be working with the newbies, so she wasn't going to be teaching Covert Operations anymore. Professor Buckingham was the most perfect teacher for the job. She was a former spy for MI6, and while she may be old, she was by no means unqualified for the job anymore. On D-day, she single-handedly took out a Nazi machine gun. She was awesome. But now she was probably going to be replaced by someone who didn't even know what they were doing, and we'd spend the entire semester waiting for our new teacher to figure things out.

Sighing, I turned onto my other side. Deciding to think about something a bit more cheerful, my thoughts turned to Josh. The son of Hermes was adorable to say the least. Beyond that, he was a great guy. Kind, funny, only occasionally stole my stuff. And he always returned it, so that was awesome. In my time at Gallagher, I had found several hidden passages, some that lead outside. I often used them late at night to sneak off and hang out with him, and sometimes Dee Dee, another friend of ours. We'd sword fight, or watch action movies together, correcting and criticizing the heroes' techniques. The girls didn't know what I did, and they didn't know about my budding feelings for the sandy haired hunk of demigod. I wouldn't call it a crush, not yet, but I couldn't deny the fact that he made me feel different than any guy friend I had ever had. He didn't make me want to be girly so much as he made me in awe of him. He was strong and powerful, yet pretty shy and docile at times. He was sweet.

I sighed again, dreamily this time, before shaking my head. _No, no, you will not get all girly about this boy. He may be sweet and amazing, but he isn't interested. Josh is a friend, and that is all he'll ever be to you._

Especially if that dream I had come true. Because dream boy was _definitely _not Josh. From what I could tell, he had dark brown hair, and a deeper voice, but that was about it. He was like the reflection of a stranger in a dirty glass window. Just barely there. But, seriously, how random was that? Maybe it was just my mind finally blowing a gasket.

The thought of dream boy drove me to sleep, hoping maybe I'd catch another glance of him. Not because I wanted to be with him again—that was kind of ridiculous—but because I wanted to be able to put a face to my strange dream visitor.

* * *

I woke to a banging on my door. Groaning, I rolled over, pulling my comforter over my head.

"Mom!" I yelled. "It's vacation, let me sleep!"

The smell of dank wood, ashes, and a moldy mattress wafted my way, reminding me I wasn't actually sleeping in my own bed. Springing up, I looked around the room. The fire had gone out at some point during my nap, leaving me shivering under my blankets.

The banging continued, and I started to panic. Cops maybe? I did assault that cashier. Maybe they found me? Tracked me down deep into the woods. Or worse. My call to camp had attracted a monster. A monster who was polite enough to knock before entering. Not as likely, but monsters were usually kind of dumb. I wouldn't put it past them.

It got to the point I was sure the door was going to get knocked down if I didn't get up and answer it. Not knowing if it was mortal or monster, I took the iron poker from the fire place and made my way over.

I gripped the doorknob, gaining some composure before I swung it open, raising my weapon in preparation for an attack.

"Whoa! Calm your horses!" Roe yelled, jumping back. "I'm sorry I hung up on you, but that's no reason to bludgeon me."

Realizing there was no threat, I let my poker fall down. "Roe? Chiron sent you to come pick me up?"

She smirked. "Not exactly. I was kind of the only volunteer. And that's because no one knows you're even alive."

"What? They think I'm dead? Why would they think that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You fell off a cliff, Cam."

"Yeah, into _water. _Do people not realize I'm a daughter of Poseidon?"

"Percy returned without you. That's enough reason to think you're dead."

Sighing in frustration, I rubbed my eyes. "Well, come on in. You have some explaining to do."

"Thanks!" She turned back, yelling into the woods: "Well, come on you slow poke! I can't be that much faster than you."

I peered out of the doorway to see who she was talking to. My jaw literally dropped the farthest it's ever been when I saw him.

Josh. Josh was here, stumbling out of the forest, looking slightly flustered, and extremely adorable. He looked up and smiled at me, causing me to blush slightly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "You said you were visiting family."

"I was," he admitted, making his way over to us. "We were up near New York when Roe told me the news that you'd been lost. I went to camp to see what was going on, and next thing you know, she"—he hooked a thumb at Roe—"is dragging me all the way to Wisconsin. So, here we are."

See what I told you? Sweet.

"That was very thoughtful of you," I said, trying to hide my blush. Stop being such a girly-girl. Woman up! Woman don't blush, girls do.

"Are we going to sit out here and gawk at one another all day, or are we going to move this party inside?" Roe teased, wiggling her eyebrows at us.

Josh's face went beat red as we all moved inside.

I started another fire before turning to Roe, hands on hips. "_You _have some explaining to do."

"You said that already," she smirked, jumping on the bed.

"How did you even get here so fast?" I asked, stroking the fire. "It's only been a few hours."

My friends gave me concerned looks. "Cammie," Roe said. "You called me yesterday. It's one in the afternoon."

"Oh…" I blinked a few times, trying to hold onto that thought. "Must have been a longer nap than I thought."

"No doubt," Josh said, coming to stand next to me. "So, what happened? Where have you been?"

After an exchanging of stories, we all allowed ourselves to bask in the new knowledge.

"These Hunter chicks sound like a bunch of stuck up brats," I muttered. "Especially that Zoe girl. You said she was being a jerk to Percy?"

Roe nodded. "From what I saw, and what the Stoll brothers saw at the camp meeting. She wasn't very sympathetic towards Percy."

"I'll kill her," I glowed. "Truly and properly kill her."

"I think we have bigger fish to fry," Josh said. "It sounds like you're the sixth in the prophecy."

I hadn't really thought about that. Honestly, I was a bit hung up on the hunter chick to even consider that I had a part in this new prophecy. I guess it made sense. Anytime something was going wrong, Percy and I are usually directly involved.

"Looks like I'm heading west then," I said, twiddling my thumbs.

Roe smiled widely. "Awesome. When do we leave?"

I gave her a puzzled look. "The prophecy mentioned only one person traveling on their own to meet the others there."

"Well, you've traveled alone this far," Josh suggested. "Maybe it was phrased like that so it would rhyme or something. Poems are hard to write, you know."

"Poems don't have to rhyme," Roe reminded him.

"But the oracles always do."

I snapped my fingers, regaining their attention. "Guys, I don't know. I think I should go on my own."

Josh crossed his arms over his chest, fixing me with a look. "While I admire you and believe you are totally competent in the questing area, that's not going to happen. It sounds like two people are going to die on this quest, and I'm making sure it isn't you."

"That's really nice of you, but I don't want you risking your lives just to keep me safe," I said, crossing my own arms. "Like you said, I'm totally competent."

"But we don't care," Roe said, standing. "Everyone needs backup, and we're yours."

"Not to mention, Percy would kill us if we just let you run off on your own," Josh pointed out.

"And you once promised to take me on an adventure." Roe clasped my shoulder. "It's time to deliver, Cam."

I looked them over. My own rag-tag team of misfit demigods. Ready at my command. I still didn't believe they were supposed to come if I was the sixth in the prophecy, but based on the looks on their faces, I wasn't going to be able to argue. I was stuck with them.

I had to smirk as I said, "Looks like we're going west to find the goddess in chains."

* * *

**Yay! Chapter! Technically it's Sunday here, so I don't have to worry about updating too early. This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would. I like that, sorry if you don't. I hope you didn't get bored. I tried to throw in some shockers, just to spice it up. The talk Cam had with her father made me think of the type of life she would have lived with her dad. I might make a one-shot of that, but only if you guys are interested. It wouldn't make much sense to anyone who hasn't read this story.**

**Guys! I've started planning for Battle of the Labyrinth! I hadn't thought too far into that till recently, but now I've started accumulating ideas, and plans, and my brain just wants to blow up with how awesome it all is. If you have any ideas, especially concerning Gallagher Girls plot line, feel free to fire them at me. I can't guarantee I'll use them, but I adore having helpful and thought provoking ideas thrown my way.**

**Special shout out to my anonymous guest reviewer who made me blush and giggle. Literally, I was in class, trying not to make any noise, and I read your review and just giggled at your excitement, making everyone turn to look at me. I'm glad to hear I got a reaction out of Zach's cameo appearance! I think you'll be happy to know I'm planning to put him in The Battle of the Labyrinth, because who doesn't love that green eyed hottie!? So don't worry, this relationship Cammie has with Josh won't last forever. I just always liked Josh and felt he needed a bigger role then what was handed to him, but I love Zach twenty times more. He just isn't ready for showing yet. Usually, it would be next to impossible for me to replace a love interest like Josh with some cocky new guy, but the moment Zach opened his mouth, I adored him. Josh just holds a soft spot in my heart. Sorry if this chapter got too sappy for you! I swear it's not going to be like this the entire story! That's just the relationship she has with Josh at the moment. I'm really excited to write her with Zach. It's going to rock :) **

**Thanks to all my nerdletts who review and dare to read this! You make my life.**


	12. Chapter 9-Part Two

I LEARN HOW TO GROW ZOMBIES

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

Thalia and I raced up the hill to the van. Everyone was already inside it, though more surprisingly, Mr. D was waiting outside of it. He regarded Thalia and me coldly.

"Get in the van, sister-o-mine," he drawled. Thalia glared, but did as she was told. He turned to me. "I don't know how you managed to weasel your way into this quest, but before you go, I'm going to tell you a story."

"A _story?_" I asked in disbelief.

"That is what I just said." He crossed his arms, and began. "There once was a beautiful young princess of Crete. Her name was Ariadne. She like helping her friend, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

I wanted to tell him _I don't care, the van's about to leave without me, _but didn't want the lecture.

"They got married?" I shrugged. "Got the perfect happily ever after?"

Mr. D sneered. "Not quite. Theseus _said _he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he…what's the word you mortals use today?...he _dumped _her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," I said. "But that was a thousand years ago. What's that got to do with me?"

Mr. D regarded me coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp."

I stared at him. "You're…you're married? But I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph—"

"My _point _is you heroes never change. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So you'll excuse me if I have no love for heroes. They are a selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Ariadne. Or Medea. For that matter, ask Zoe Nightshade."

"What do you mean, ask Zoe?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Go. Follow your silly friends. I just want you to know, your comments from earlier didn't go unnoticed. I don't care about you heroes dying, for several reasons."

He trudged off then, leaving me alone on the top of the hill.

Thalia opened the van door and peered out. "You coming today?"

* * *

Zoe was driving, and it was probably one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had to live through. And that's saying a lot. It sort of concerned me how often she would look back to glare at me. I wanted to tell her to keep her eyes on the road, but I was afraid she would kick me out of the van without even stopping. So I sat in the back, twisting Annabeth's ball cap in my hands, nervously.

The van was silent, and it was very uncomfortable. Bianca, who was sitting shotgun up by Zoe, couldn't stop bouncing her leg up and down, and tapped her fingers against her knee. Grover was chowing down on some tin cans, nibbling loudly. Thalia was lounging back in the see beside me, her feet resting up on the center console of the front seat, her eyes closed as she tried to catch a few more hours of sleep. I could tell she was trying to keep a calm face for everyone, but she was slowly losing patience with the tension.

"If I see you turn around to look back here one more time, Zoe, I'm going to take the wheel from you, and force you to come sit by Percy," Thalia said lowly, not even looking up.

Zoe scowled, but she didn't look back. I nudged Thalia for thanks, but she pretended not to notice.

Everyone was still a bit on edge—pre-quest jitters, possibly? A bizarre and unjustified hatred for boys?—but for the most part, we were calm. Now that I wasn't having holes burnt into my head, I could safely look out the window. There wasn't much to look at, but it made me a little less car sick. It gave me time to think, which possibly I had had too much of lately.

I tried not to think of losing Cammie and Annabeth, and whether or not they were really alive. And for once, I succeeded.

I remember when Cam and I were really little, about three or four-ish. I had hit this major growth spurt, while Cammie stayed small. Mom said it was the cutes years of our lives. With me being so tall, and her still so tiny, I would pick her up in my arms and carry her around. Wherever I went, apparently I would carry her. And she didn't even argue. If mom called me into the kitchen, and Cam and I were coloring, she would hold on tight to her coloring book, I'd pick her up, and I'd set her down on the kitchen floor to continue coloring. Whenever mom would try and scold me, yet see me do that, she literally just could not do it. She thought it was too adorable. Many teachers did not agree. They didn't think we should be so attached to each other. As the years went by, and Cammie's height caught up with my own, carrying her around became a problem. Even with mom. They all started insisting I stop carrying her around like a little doll. And as bulling got worse, we slowly allowed ourselves to grow out of the habit. It had been years since I did that.

Thalia nudged me. "What are you thinking about?"

I smiled. "Nothing I'm going to share?"

"Something rude?"

"Something sort of embarrassing," I corrected.

"I can't imagine what that might be," Thalia teased. "You'll have to tell me now."

I shook my head. "Not happening. I don't want to hear you teasing me about it for the rest of the quest."

"Well, I'm bored, so I'll try and guess. You were wondering how magnificent you look riding that black Pegasus of yours."

"His name is Blackjack, and no."

"Thinking about how much working out you'd have to do to get muscles like Jamie from the Hephaestus cabin?"

"I don't think I'll ever achieve that level of beefiness." Jamie Glasser. A 17 year-old powerhouse of strength and muscles. He looked like a handsome version of the Minotaur, though he was as soft as a teddy bear.

"You were thinking about how much you want to kiss Annabeth when we find her?"

I blushed, glaring at her. "No!"

"You realized you put your underwear on backwards?"

I was about to answer, but paused for a second. "…No."

Thalia smirked. "Come on, it can't be any worse than that."

"Forget it!" I laughed. "I'm not telling you."

"It was the underwear, wasn't it?"

"_No."_

Grover chuckled, and I saw Bianca's small smile in the rearview mirror.

"Can we play a different game?" I asked. "Something that doesn't deal with my underwear?"

"OOO! OOO!" Grover cheered, raising his hand. "The story game!"

"What?" Thalia asked, sitting up.

"It's a game where someone starts to tell a story, and then everyone adds onto it. I'll start!" Grover closed his eyes, and said wistfully, "Once upon a time, there was a mama goat who had several little goat kids. Percy, you next."

"Uh, the mama goat was secretly a part of the…_HMIA! _The Hooved Mammal's Intelligence Agency, and was raising her kids to be agents just like her. Thalia?"

"Too bad one of the kids, Percy-goat, kept putting his underwear on backwards, and couldn't go on missions with the rest of the kids," Thalia added, mockingly.

I groaned. Everyone in the van—not including Zoe—chuckled.

Surprisingly, Bianca spoke up next. "One day the mama goat decided the kids were ready to go on a mission by themselves," she said. Zoe turned to her, giving her a look of betrayal. "Come on, Zoe. You give it a turn."

Zoe huffed. "Not now, not ever."

"Grover, I guess it's back to you," I said.

"Their names were…" Grover thought for a second. "Percy-Goat, uhh…Thalio-Nubian, Boerianca, Groverson, and… Angzoea!"

The entire van—again, excluding Zoe, who looked murderous—roared with laughter.

"What the heck?" Thalia laughed. "Where on earth did you get those names from?"

"They're based on breeds of goats! Thalia is the Anglo-Nubian, Bianca the Boer, me the Grison stripped goat, and Zoe is the Angora!"

"You are all such children!" Zoe snapped from the front seat. "I'm stuck with children."

In the back seat, we exchanged looks. "Yeah, we are."

Again, there was laughter.

"Okay, Thalia, it's your turn."

* * *

We stopped in Maryland for a pit stop, grabbing some chips and sodas at a convince store there. I got a tube of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles and two Mountain Dews before walking back out to meet the others.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia was saying as I walked up.

"Well…pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"Eighty-five percent sure of what?" I asked, opening one of my sodas.

"Grover's tracking Artemis," Thalia told me. "He says we should go to D.C."

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked, like she couldn't believe it.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I…" She frowned. "We used to live there. That's…that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"You must not have been there too long, huh?" I asked her.

"I'm…I'm not sure, really."

I gave her a confused look, but said nothing.

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know _nothing _of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, _scullion? _You're calling _me _a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Whoa, you two," Grover said nervously. "Come on. Let's not fight."

"Grover's right," Bianca said. "D.C. is our best bet."

Zoe didn't looked convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let us keep moving."

"Your driving is going to get us arrested," Thalia grumbled. "I look closer to sixteen then you do."

"Perhaps," Zoe snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go."

We made our way back to the van, and I whispered to Thalia, "As the vile boy of this group, shouldn't I be the one provoking Zoe? It's certainly what she expects from me."

"Then how about you do your job?" Thalia said, taking a swig from my soda.

"Na, you do a fine job. You're promoted to Chief Zoe-irritator. Keep it up, and I'll promote you to President."

* * *

Our next stop was at the Smithsonian. Mom had brought Cam and I a million years ago! Everything was a lot bigger then.

It made me wonder if Zoe had been kidding before. I didn't know when cars were exactly invented, but I figured that was like prehistoric times—back when people watched black-and-white TV and hunted dinosaurs. How old was she?

I looked around, and spotted a black sedan. Odd, I had seen that car following the van earlier. The door opened, and a man with gray hair and a military buzz cut got out. He was wearing dark shades and a black overcoat. Now, maybe in Washington, you'd expect guys like that to be everywhere. But having seen this car a few time on the highway following us, made it very suspicious.

The guy took out his mobile phone and said something into it. Then he looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, and started walking down the Mall in our direction.

The worst of it was: when he turned toward me, I recognized his face. It was Dr. Thorn, the manticore from Westover Hall.

My heart was pounding. If he survived, Annabeth survived, and Cammie _definitely _did. My hopes were rock solid. That meant my dreams had been right. Annabeth was being held prisoner.

I turned to Thalia to tell her, but she was gone. They all were. I looked around, trying to find them, but they were just gone.

_Go find Thalia! _A voice inside my head yelled. _Get backup, take him down!_

_He's getting away, _another part of me said. _If you go get her now, you won't find him in time._

And indeed he was. He had turned and was headed across the Mall. I made a split-second decision and put on Annabeth's cap, and followed him.

Thorn crossed the street and climbed the steps of the Museum of Natural History. There was a big sign on the door. At first I thought it said CLOSED FOR PIRATE EVENT. Then I realized PIRATE probably meant PRIVATE.

I followed Dr. Thorn inside, through a huge chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur skeletons. There were voices up ahead, coming from behind a set of closed doors. Two guards stood outside. They opened the doors for Thorn, and I had to sprint to get inside before they closed them again.

Inside, what I saw was so terrible I almost gasped out loud, which probably would've gotten me killed.

I was in a huge round room with a balcony ringing the second level. At least a dozen mortal guards stood on the balcony, plus two monsters—reptilian women with double-snake trunks instead of legs. I'd seen them before. Annabeth had called them Scythian dracaenae.

But that wasn't the worse of it. Standing between the snake women—I could swear he was looking straight down at me—was my old enemy Luke. He looked terrible. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray, as if he'd aged ten years in just a few months. The angry light in his eyes was still there, and so was the scar down the side of his face, where a dragon had once scratched him. But the scar was now ugly red, as though it had recently been reopened.

Next to him, sitting down so that the shadows covered him, was another man. All I could see were his knuckles on the gilded arms of his chair, like a throne.

"Well?" asked the man in the chair. His voice was just like the one I'd heard in my dream—not as creepy as Kronos's, but deeper and stronger, like the earth itself was talking. It filled the whole room even though he wasn't yelling.

Dr. Thorn took off his shades. His two-colored eyes, brown and blue, glittered with excitement. He made a stiff bow, then spoke in his weird French accent: "They are here, General."

"I know that, you fool," boomed the man. "But where?"

"In the rocket museum."

"The Air and Space Museum," a female voice corrected smoothly behind me. There was the clicking of high heel shoes, along with a pair of heavy shoes. I turned to see a beautiful woman with ginger hair and these strong green eyes walking toward them. Two very similar looking goons, one holding a pot, treaded behind her. She was smiling pleasantly, though she looked over at Thorn very judgmentally. "Not the _rocket _museum."

Thorn glared at her, growling slightly.

"Catherine, how nice of you to join us," the General said.

"And it's an honor to see you again," Catherine said. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation. Please, continue. I'm not even here."

Luke turned back to Thorn. "How many?"

Thorn pretended not to hear.

"_How many?" _the General demanded.

"Five, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, Grover Underwood. And the girl with the spiky black hair and the—how do you say—_punk _clothes and the horrible shield."

"Thalia," Luke said.

"Two other girls—Hunters. One wears a silver circlet."

"_That _one I know," the General growled.

"And I do believe I saw Perseus Jackson.

Catherine's smile widened.

"Let me take them," Luke said to the General. "We have more than enough—"

"Patience," the General said. "They'll have their hands full already. I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied."

"But—"

"We cannot risk you, my boy."

"Yes, _boy," _Dr. Thorn said with a cruel smile. "You are much too fragile to risk. Let _me _finish them off."

Catherine laughed softly. "Because you did _such _a wonderful job of that last time, didn't you?"

Thorn looked about ready to attack her, when the General rose from his chair.

He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the guys on Wall Street wear, but you'd never mistake this dude for a broker. He had a brutal face, huge shoulders and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. I felt as if I were looking at a living stature. It was amazing he could even move.

"She makes a valid point," he said. "You have failed me already."

"But, General—"

"No excuses!"

Thorn flinched. I'd thought Thorn was scary when I first saw him in his black uniform at the military academy. But now, standing before the General, Thorn looked like a silly wannabe solider. The General was the real deal. He didn't need a uniform. He was a born commander.

"I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," the General said. "I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me a scrawny daughter of Athena, when you had the opportunity to bring me a daughter of Poseidon. She was right in your hands, and you failed me.

"But you promised me revenge!" Thorn protested. "A command of my own."

"_I _am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you."

Thorn's face turned purple with rage. I thought he was going to start frothing at the mouth or shooting spines, but he just bowed awkwardly and left the room.

"Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we much do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"Why not Percy?"

"There is no chance of turning him to our cause. We haven't even tried with her yet."

"The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. "Zoe Nightshade—"

"Do not speak her name!"

Luke swallowed. "S-sorry, General. I just—"

The General silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Let me show you, my boy, how we will bring the Hunters down."

He looked to Catherin. "Do you have the teeth?"

The woman turned to one of the goons behind her, holding out her hands. The man gave her the ceramic pot. She brought it over to him. She was tiny next to the General.

"One of my agents was kind enough to pick them up," Catherin told him.

"Plant them," he said, peering inside.

In the center of the room was a big circle of dirt, where I guess a dinosaur exhibit was supposed to go. Goon Two took the sharp white teeth out of the pot, and I watched nervously as he pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly.

The Goon stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands. "It's ready."

"Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey."

The goon picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it, which was kind of bizarre, because what he poured out wasn't water. It was dark red liquid, and I got the feeling it wasn't Hawaiian Punch.

The soil began to bubble.

"Soon," the General said, "I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant."

Luke clenched his fists. "I've spent a year training my forces! When the _Princess Andromeda _arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best—"

"Ha!" the General said. "I don't deny your troops will make a fine honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course will have a role to play—"

I thought Luke turned paler when the General said that.

"—but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundred fold. We will be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines."

The soil erupted. I stepped back nervously.

In each spot where a tooth had been planted, a creature was struggling out of the dirt. The first of them said:

"Mew?"

It was a kitten. A little orange tabby with stripes like a tiger. Then another appeared, until there were a dozen, rolling around and playing in the dirt.

Everyone stared at them in disbelief. It took a second for anyone to react, but Catherine was the first. She whipped around and slapped the goon who held the pot before so hard, blood went splattering.

"You incompetent _idiot!" _she roared.

"I wasn't the one to gather the teeth!" he yelled in his defense. "It was Agent Cooper!"

"Make sure he is taken care of," she hissed, kicking him.

"Ma'am, that's two agents in the last week—"

"Well we can't continue dealing with screw-ups, now can we?!" She turned to Goon Two. "Go get the _right _teeth and know if you screw up, you will live the most painful and excruciating seven months of your live and it will be the _last _thing you ever feel."

The man nodded nervously, picking up the kittens and scampering off.

"Imbeciles," muttered the General.

"This mix up will not happen again," Catherine promised. "I swear to you."

"This is why I don't use mortals," Luke said. "They are unreliable."

"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General said. He turned to Catherine. "I do love them. I hope I haven't offended you, my dear."

She simply smiled. "On the contrary, you've only served to flatter me! Humans like to pretend we're some kind of advanced and morally guided race, but we're all savages underneath."

He reached out with his giant hand and stroked her face. "You are a rare gem," he said. "Thankfully we have a competent mortal controlling that part of our force."

A minute later, the goon hustled into the room with his hands full of large pointy teeth.

Catherine gave him a fierce glare. "From the Tyrannosaurus this time, correct?"

"I am positive," he said.

"Excellent," the General said. He climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped down, twenty feet.

Where he landed, the marble floor cracked under his leather shoes. He stood, wincing, and rubbed his shoulders. "Curse my stiff neck."

"Would you like something to ease the pain?" Catherine called down. "A hot pad? Tylenol?"

"No! It will pace." The General brushed off his silk suit, then snatched up the teeth. "I shall do this myself."

He held up one of the teeth and smiled. "Dinosaur teeth—ha! Those foolish mortals don't even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just _any _dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely."

He planted them in the dirt, twelve in all. Then he scooped up the watering can. He sprinkled the soil with red liquid, tossing the can away, and held his arms out wide. "Rise!"

The dirt trembled. A single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air.

The General looked up at the balcony. "Quickly, do you have the scent?"

Catherine took the stairs. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore.

"Excellent," the General said. "Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons know to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Give it here!"

As he said that, skeletons erupted from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. They were nothing like Halloween skeletons, or the kind you might see in cheesy movies. These were growing flesh as I watched, turning into men, but men with dull gray skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes—gray muscle shirts, camo pants, and combat boots. If you didn't look too closely, you could almost believe they were humans, but their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath, like X-ray images.

One of them looked straight at me, regarding me coldly, and I knew that no cap of invisibility would fool it.

Catherine was handing the scarf over. As soon as he gave it to the warriors, they would hunt Zoe and the others until they were extinct.

I didn't have time to think. I ran and snatched it out of the woman's hands, plowing into her. She gasped as she fell to the floor.

"What's this?" bellowed the General.

I ran over, dodging the guards and goons, landing near the skeleton warriors, who hissed.

"An intruder," the General growled. "One cloaked in darkness. Seal the doors!"

"It's Percy Jackson!" Luke yelled. "It has to be."

I sprinted for the exit, but heard a ripping sound and realized the skeleton warriors had taken a chunk of my sleeve. When I glanced back, he was holding the fabric up to his nose, sniffing the scent, handing it around to his friends. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I squeezed through the door just as the guards slammed it shut behind me.

And then I ran.

* * *

**So I decided that Sunday updates are still a thing, but if the chapter is done by Saturday, I'm posting. Because I have no self-control, and why not. So, yeah, look out for Saturdays! And then maybe Sundays.**

**To my friend Engineer4Ever, don't worry, I didn't forget Mr. D's story :) I just didn't think it would go so well at the end of the last Percy chapter.**

**The next chapter is really really short, and Percy's prospective, so I might be updating it in the middle of the week…possibly. I won't promise anything.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, and have a great weekend my Nerdletts.**


	13. Chapter 10

I BREAK A FEW ROCKET SHIPS

* * *

**(Percy's pov.)**

* * *

I tore across the Mall, not daring to look behind me. I burst into the Air and Space Museum and took off my invisibility cap once I was through the admissions area.

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. I wanted to yell at them all to leave, but I figured that would only get me arrested. I had to find the others. Any minute, the skeleton dudes were going to invade the museum, and I didn't think they would settle for an audio tour.

I ran into Thalia—literally. I was barreling up the ramp to the top floor balcony and slammed into her, knocking her into an Apollo space capsule.

Grover yelped in surprise.

Before I could regain my balance, Zoe and Bianca had arrows notched, aimed at my chest. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere.

When Zoe realized who I was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "There you are," she said stiffly.

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness."

Thalia stood, wiping off her backside. "Seriously, Percy," she groaned. "Where did you run off to? We've been looking all over for you."

"No time," I said, trying to catch my breath. "Luke. He's here."

Thalia put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

I told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, the strange mortal woman, and the General.

"The General is _here?_" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"

"_What?" _Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve," I said. "And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate', to distract us. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"Artemis must have stopped here looking for the mystery monster," Grover said.

"Zoe," Bianca said nervously, "if it _is _the General—"

"It _cannot _be!" Zoe snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," I told her.

Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I didn't know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but I figured now wasn't the time to ask.

"If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible…We must leave now."

"Good idea," I said.

"I do believe a thank you is in order," Thalia smirked. "I mean, Percy did save you and all your hunter's lives."

Zoe's look of concealed horror when Thalia said that was priceless.

"There is no time," she said stiffly. "We have to go before—"

Everyone froze. I heard a growl so loud I thought one of the rocket engines was starting up.

Below us, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. I'd seen this monster once before. Two years ago, Cammie and I briefly from a train. Now, up close and personal, it looked even bigger.

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it parted my hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoe said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!"

I uncapped Riptide and rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past me, and Grover played a sharp _tweet-tweet_ cadence on his reed pipes. I turned and saw Zoe and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lion's metallic fur. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back. Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "_ROOOAAAR!"_

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire.

For a second, I thought Thalia had it under control. Then I saw the lion crouching, its leg muscles tensing. I'd seen enough cat fights in the alleys around my apartment in New York to know the lion was about to pounce.

"Hey!" I yelled. I don't know what I was thinking, but I charged the beast. I just wanted to get it away from my friends. I slashed with Riptide, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks.

The lion raked me with its claws, ripping off a chunk of my coat. I backed against the railing. It sprang at me, one thousand pounds of monster, and I had no choice but to turn and jump.

I landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled me to the floor, three stories below.

I tried to remember what I knew about the lion. Cammie had been reading something about it one night. She had read aloud.

An arrow whizzed past my head. The lion jumped onto the aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan.

_Hurry up, hurry up, remember!_

The lion swiped at me, and I dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter.

_The lion was one of Hercules's trials. He couldn't cut it, but he killed it. But _how. _How did he kill it?_

I looked up as the lion roared, its mouth opening wide.

_It's mouth. The mouth! You can't cut the fur, but its insides are just as vulnerable as any other lion, _I thought. _But it's moving too fast. I can't get close enough without getting sliced to pieces._

"Zoe!" I shouted. "Target the mouth!"

The monster lunged. An arrow zipped past it, missing completely, and I dropped from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the earth. I slid down Russia and dropped off the equator.

"Grover!" I yelled. "Clear the area!"

Groups of kids were running around screaming. Grover tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from me, on the other side of the globe. The lion regarded us both, trying to decide which of us to kill first.

Zoe and Bianca were above us, bows ready, but they kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoe yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled from the top of the globe.

I looked around. _Options. _I needed…

The gift shop. I had a vague memory from my trip here as a little kid. Something Cammie insisted she needed to have, then ended up in the bathroom all night with mom holding her hair back as she threw it back up. If they still sold that stuff…

"Thalia," I said, "keep it occupied."

She nodded grimly.

"Hi-yah!" She pointed her spear and a spidery arc of blue electricity shot out, zapping the lion in the tail.

"_ROOOOOOOOOOAR_!" The lion turned and pounced. Thalia rolled out of its way, holding up Aegis to keep the monster at bay, and I ran for the gift shop.

"This is no time for souvenirs, boy!" Zoe yelled.

I dashed into the shop, knocking over row of T-shirts, jumping over tables full of glow-in-the-dark planets and space ooze. The sales lady didn't protest. She was too busy cowering behind the cash register.

There! on the far wall—glittery silver packets. Whole racks of them. I scooped up every kind I could find and ran out of the shop with an armful.

Zoe and Bianca were still showering arrows on the monster, but it was no good. The lion seemed to know better than to open its mouth too much. It snapped at Thalia, slashing with its claws. It even kept its eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Thalia jabbed at the monster and backed up. The lion pressed her.

"Percy," she called, "whatever you're going to do—"

The lion roared and swatted her like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor.

"Hey!" I yelled at the lion. I was too far way to strike, so I took a risk: I hurled Riptide like a throwing knife. It bounced off the lion's side, but that was enough to get the monster's attention. It turned toward me and snarled.

There was only one way to get close enough. I charged, and as the lion leaped to intercept me, I chunked a space food pouch into its maw—a chunk of cellophane-wrapped, freeze-dried strawberry parfait.

The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball.

I couldn't blame it. If Cammie's experience was anything to go by, those things were not for consuming.

"Zoe, get ready!" I yelled.

Behind me, I could hear people screaming. Grover was playing another horrible son on his pipes.

I scrambled away from the lion. It managed to choke down the space food packet and looked at me with pure hate.

"Snack time!" I yelled.

I made the mistake of roaring at me, and I got an ice-cream sandwich in its throat. Fortunately, I had always been a pretty good pitcher, even though baseball wasn't my game. Before the lion could stop gagging, I shot in two more flavors of ice cream, and a freeze-dried spaghetti dinner.

The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from me.

"Now!" I yelled.

Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw—two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still.

Alarms wailed through the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on.

Grover knelt at Thalia's side and helped her up. She seemed okay, just a little dazed. Zoe and Bianca dropped from the balcony and landed next to me.

Zoe eyed me cautiously. "That was…an interesting strategy."

I shrugged. "Worked on my sister once."

The lion seemed to be melting, the way dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Zoe told me.

I started at her. "What, the lion's fur? Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

"It is a spoil of war," she told me. "It is rightly thine."

"You killed it," I said.

She shook her head, almost smiling. "I think thy ice-cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur."

I lifted it up; it was surprisingly light. The fur was smooth and soft. It didn't feel at all like something that could stop a blade. As I watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not exactly my style," I murmured.

"We have to get out of here," Grover said. "The security guards won't stay confused for long."

I noticed for the first time how strange it was that the guards hadn't rushed forward to arrest us. They were scrambling in all directions except ours, like they were madly searching for something. A few were running into walls, or each other.

"You did that?" I asked Grover.

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it'll only last a few seconds."

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoe said. "Look."

Through the glass walls of the museum, I could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were too far away for us to see their eyes, but I could feel their gaze aimed straight at me.

"Go," I said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"Over my dead body," Thalia growled.

"Possibly, if you don't start running," I said. "Go. Find Cammie, and…Thalia, you keep her safe, okay? I trust you to keep my sister safe, you got that? I might be the one in the prophecy to get killed in the land without rain, so I need you to make sure she'll be okay. I know you will."

Thalia stared at me with heartbroken eyes. I don't trust a lot of people with my sister—the list is next to non-existent—but I knew Thalia would do everything in her power to keep her alive. And if I wasn't ever going to see her again, I could at least rest peacefully-ish knowing Thalia was looking out for her.

Thalia looked like she was about to hug me, but I got something else instead.

A full powered, slightly electrically charged slap to the face.

"OW!" I yelled.

She gripped the front of my shirt, pulling me in close. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she growled. "The slap was on Cammie's behalf, because I know she would do something ten times worse if she was here herself."

I rubbed my cheek.

"You better not be planning on going anywhere," Thalia said. "I made sure you were on this quest, and you don't get to back out now. Not after my hard work. So if I find you gone or missing at any point during this quest, I will find you, and I will make sure you _severally _regret it. Got it?"

Pushing me away, she turned and started walking.

* * *

**…so I'm a huge old butt face, you can say it. I told you I'd get this chapter up mid-week, and I didn't…I'm a jerk. I just had this really long tired spell where nothing seemed to keep me awake long enough to get actual work done, and every time I did have energy, I had to put it into homework. So I am sorry, because this chapter wasn't that much fun, but it's up, and I will have the next chapter done on time. I won't skimp out on you, I promise.**

**Night nerdletts, get some sleep.**


	14. Chapter 11-Part One

ALL JOSH WANTS IS A BAG OF DORITOS

* * *

**(Cammie's pov.)**

* * *

We had to be careful walking through town, what with me kind of stealing a bunch of stuff and assaulting a cashier, and whatnot. I'd send him what I owed later…maybe. But we made sure to keep an eye out as we ran to the pier.

"Okay, so how do we get off this island?" I asked. "Snowmobile?"

"No, they use something called a windsled," Josh told me, glancing around. "It should be coming soon, based on the schedule."

"I hope you're right," I said, looking around myself. "I have this horrible feeling that if I stick around longer then necessary, I'll manage to get arrested."

Roe narrowed her eyes at the ice. "Think you can stay out of trouble for another thirty some seconds?"

We all looked out to find a large vehicle—if you could call it that—coming our way. It looked like a giant metal box with two huge fans on the back. There was a single wheel on the front, and windows all over its sides. It was weird.

"That's our ride?" I asked.

"Unless you want to walk," Roe smirked. "Yes."

"We don't have any money," I yelled over the sound of the fans. I had to hold my hat on to keep it from flying off.

"NO!" Josh yelled. "You don't, but we do! We came prepared!"

"Well sorry I didn't pack for a road trip west," I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

It stopped and as people hopped off, we bought tickets and loaded ourselves on. The inside was nothing special. Just some benches along the sides and two in the middle, and a corner blocked off for the driver. It looked like we were the only ones making this trip, so we sat in the back, and made ourselves comfortable.

Josh looked down at me, as though remembering something. "Okay, don't be angry, but I have some things for you," he told me, looking adorably nervous.

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "What…?"

He set his backpack on his lap, rummaging through it. He pulled out two things. My leather bound book of myths, and my cellphone.

I took them from him, looking them over.

"When I was at camp, I figured you might want some of your stuff, you know?" he said. "So I kind of snuck into your cabin and looked through your backpack. Those were the only two things I thought might be useful. I don't know, reading material, or something. A way to call for help in case of emergencies." He gave the phone a quizzical look. "Though I don't know why you have that in the first place. I thought you and Percy agreed no phones."

"We did, but the girls didn't get the memo," I said, referring to Liz and Bex. "After last summer they were afraid of not being able to get in touch with me during breaks, so they kind of forced it on me. I keep it off for the most part, only check it every once and a while when we're not together."

"Sucks how you can't explain it to them, huh?" Josh said. I nodded.

"I don't know why you don't just tell them," Roe scoffed. "It would make your life so much easier."

I laughed. "Yeah, being put in a mental institution is so much easier. No thanks."

"You don't think they'd believe you?"

"Uh, no. Liz is a girl of science and facts. She would never believe me. Same with Bex. I'd rather not test their faith in me."

"But you could explain," Roe insisted. "I don't know, show them or something."

"And hope they can see through the mist well enough to think it's not a trick? I'm not going to risk it."

"Well, come on, what's the worst that could happen," Josh asked.

"Uh, they think I'm crazy? Realize I lied to them the entire time we've known each other. Tell the headmistress who looks into me and my real life, finds out about my very colorful history in school destruction, think I'm some kind of enemy to the school. Realize Vanessa was the one who brought me, and suspect her of trying to bring the school down. Get Madam Dabney in trouble for knowing, ruin my families lives." They stared at me intently. "What?"

"Nothing," Josh muttered. "Just forgot how dramatic you can be sometimes."

I glared at him, pinching his hand.

"Ow!"

"I just think you shouldn't be withholding information from them," Roe said. "It's kind of manipulative."

I could not believe her! Now I know that lying to my friends was wrong—believe me, I know—but Roe was the queen of tight lipped pasts. Beyond knowing her godly parent was her mother, and that she was unclaimed, I knew nothing about where she came from. She had a pretty Asian face, with long black hair and incredible blue eyes, but I didn't know what came from where. Were her eyes her mom's or her dad's? Was the silky smoothness of her locks a trait on her father's side, or a side effect to having a godly mother? I'd never pushed her into telling me, mostly because she was very good at making me forget I'd even asked after bringing it up.

And when I'd called the Big House expecting Chiron and getting her evasive answers instead?

Maybe I was still really tired, or just frustrated with life in general, but I kind of snapped.

"Manipulative like forgetting to mention my brother went on a quest and telling me to wait for someone to come pick me up so you could escape yourself?" I asked coldly, crossing my arms. "Manipulative like that?"

She glared coolly at me. "You wouldn't have stayed put to wait for us," she defended.

"So you manipulated me into staying where I was for my own good?"

Roe rolled her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal?" I scoffed. "You don't get to lecture me on lying to my friends when you lied to me just hours ago! That's called being a hypocrite. How am I supposed to trust you're telling me everything when you can't even tell me the whole truth!?"

Roe looked slightly hurt by that, but she covered it well. Crossing her arms, she leaned back and looked out the window. Josh squirmed uncomfortably beside me.

"Uh, how about I sit in the middle now?" he asked. "Good idea? I think so."

* * *

Once we reached the mainland, we started walking. Middle of the day didn't make for a good time to steal a car. So we just decided to walk, which honestly wasn't very convenient, but was really the farthest we'd planned.

It wasn't a great walk, I'll tell you that. It was long and left our ankles feeling like lead. Not to mention, the tension was so thick, you couldn't even cut it with a chainsaw. I knew I overreacted, but try apologizing when your friend won't even look at you, and you're too stubborn to grovel.

So we went hours in the uncomfortable silence. It was dark before we even considered stopping.

After the long stretch of country road, we found a little bar and restaurant out in the middle of nowhere. It seemed like an illogical spot to open a business, but they must be doing well enough for themselves if they had customers.

"We've got to stop and get something to eat," Josh said. "My stomach has just about perfected its whale call."

I took a sniff of the air. "Smells like burgers."

"More like alcohol and smoke to me," Roe said, kicking cigarette away.

"Come on," Josh said. "Let's go in. We've got money, and we need to warm up before our fingers fall off."

I shrugged. "No harm in it, I guess. Let's check it out."

We walked up the stairs and let ourselves in, letting country music and the smoky air hit us. There were only a few customers inside and a few waiters. One looked up and gave us a worried look. He scurried off, going to the kitchen. Another came up to us, also giving us the look.

"Uh, can I help you," she said.

"Table please?" I asked. "We've got money, we swear."

Josh held up a few bills as proof.

"Uh, well I don't know," she said. "You guys are pretty young to be here by yourselves."

"Which is why they are going to leave," an angry voice yelled across the room. The waiter from before followed a short balding man in a flannel over to us.

"I'm the owner, and I'm not letting a much of brats like yourselves inside," he said stiffly. "This is a bar, and kids aren't allowed. Now get out."

"We just want some food," I explained, showing him the money. "That's all we want. You can't kick us out for that, can you?"

"I can and I will. This place has a bar and I won't get arrested for letting three underage children in here!"

"Olive Garden has a bar, too!" Roe yelled. "But I'm pretty sure they'd let us in there!"

"Well in case you haven't realized, this ain't no Olive Garden," the owner mocked. "Get out, or I call the cops."

"On three kids?" Josh asked incredulously. "You're not serious?"

"You're right; you won't be gone soon enough." He started pushing us out the door, not so gently throwing us down the stairs. "Go!"

Furious and humiliated, I stood up, helping my friends stand. "You don't have to be such a jerk!" I yelled, hauling Roe up to her feet.

"Just take your little gang of punks and scurry off to where you came from," the owner said dismissively, waving a hand.

"Would it be wrong to break his nose?" I hissed under my breath.

Roe gave me a meaningful look. "I don't see what's stopping you," she said.

I guess it was the least he deserved. I'd never been one to take bulling sitting down, no matter the size. So I walked calmly back up the steps, whistling to the man. "Hey, Tubs."

He turned back angrily. "I thought I told you to—"

The palm of my hand connected with his nose before he could finish the sentence. There was a sickening crack, and blood gushed everywhere. The owner cried out in pain, holding his now broken nose in his hands while he wept. I wiped his blood from my hand off on his shirt.

"Now, be a pal, and don't call the cops," I said calmly. "You know, they'd take too long to get here, and who knows what else a punk like myself might break in that time." I skipped down the steps. "You should have just given us our burgers!" I yelled back up to him, walking back to my friends. "That was fun," I smirked.

Josh wrapped an arm around my shoulders, patting my arm. "I love it when you get all violent like that," he smiled.

I held in my blush, but leaned into his body. "Why thank you, it's a favorite activity of mine."

He laughed, smiling down at me. "You're just amazing."

I could see Roe cross her arms, smirking. "Aren't you two just adorable? You think she's amazing. She thinks you're hot."

"Roe!" I hissed.

Josh just scoffed, wrapping his other arm around her. "A) she is amazing. And B) I am hot. You're just jealous."

We started walking away from the restaurant, and I could still hear the owner crying in the doorway.

"You think I'm jealous of Cammie?" Roe said, shocked.

"No, you're jealous of me and my good looks." Josh ran a hand through his hair. "I'm pretty attractive."

Roe rolled her eyes at me, and I chuckled. Our stomachs may be empty, and our feet still aching, but we seemed to be in higher spirits then before. We were crossing the large parking lot of the restaurant, when Josh suddenly stopped, dropping his arms from our shoulders. "Either I'm really hungry, or that's a family sized bag of Doritos."

He pointed across the lot, near the back of the building, at a tinted red dark spot. He started moving forward to investigate.

"You are not seriously going to eat a bag of Doritos you found on the ground, are you?" Roe asked.

"If it hasn't been opened, you can bet your jealous behind I am."

My friend rolled her eyes at me. "And you think he's a cutie."

I shrugged. "I like my men quirky. Anyways, who would leave an unopened bag of Doritos lying on the ground? I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Guys!" he yelled, waving his arms excitedly. "It's closed!"

"What?" Roe yelled, going over to see for herself. "You can't be serious."

"Really, come look."

We gathered around the bag, staring down as Josh showed us the sealed top. "Someone just left a bag of unopened chips in the middle of a nowhere restaurant parking lot?" I shook my head. "It's fishy. Don't take it."

"Fishy?" Josh teased. "You're using fish terms, Bata Fish?"

I gave his arm a soft tap. "Shut up. I'm not a Bata Fish. And it's a common saying!"

"Her point still stands," Roe said, crossing her arms. "It's strange. Leave it be."

"No way, I'm starved."

"You ate all the food Cammie stole!"

"I'm a growing boy! I need to replenish my stomach more often then you."

"Come on, Josh," I said. "Leave it be."

"Seriously, guys," he said. "It's not like it's poisoned or anything. The worst that could happen is that it's passed its expiration date." He leaned down to grab it.

But it wouldn't move.

He tugged harder, but it only rustled. "What is this? The Mjolnir of potato chip bags?" he said, pulling with all his weight.

I leaned down to see what was going on. It was attached to something. It kind of reminded me the Minotaur horn Percy and I had.

"Josh, stop!" I said, holding out a hand. "Josh, it's attached to something."

"I don't think I'm getting it anyway," he said, backing way, panting. "What's it attached to?"

I got up, pushing my friends away. "I don't know exactly, but it looks like a—"

Something irrupted from the dirt, spitting gravel, ice, and snow everywhere. It stood probably near to twenty feet tall, and that was with most of its body slithering out of the hole it had hid itself in. It was covered in large armor like scales, and had a huge diamond shaped head with intense black eyes narrowing in on us. On top of its head lay two large horns, much like those on an antelope, only more dangerous looking, and with a bag of nacho flavored Doritos attached to one. It reminded me of a snake, only much more dangerous. And tall.

"A horn," I finished.

"I don't think this is what mom had in mind when she told me not to pick up food off the ground," Josh muttered to himself.

"You _really _should have listened to your mom," Roe said as we all started backing away slowly. "I mean, _really should have listened!_"

"Shhh," I hissed. "Look, maybe it has bad eyesight or something, so just stay quiet, and back away—"

It lunged at us, nearly taking off my head, proving my point that it had good hearing. If we hadn't dived apart, it would have killed me instantly.

"Look, it's large, so maybe it'll have a hard time navigating through tightly packed spaces," Josh said, grabbing Roe up off the ground. "Let's head for the woods."

I nodded, moving in the direction of the forest. "That's a good start."

It took the serpent a few seconds to get back up. It paused, stopping to listen for us. It took only five seconds to locate us. Hissing, it slithered its way towards our location. We struggled across what used to be a cornfield in the summer, sinking into the snow. The forest wasn't far away, but it might just be far enough for the serpent—which seemed to float over the snow—to catch us.

"Faster, run faster!" I yelled.

"Stop screaming!" Roe whisper-yelled, running faster.

"He knows where we are, whispering is pointless!"

We were panting hard as we reached the densely packed woods. The monster was right on our backs as we scrambled in, nipping at us. As we stumbled inside, it reared up high, not being able to force its large head and body inside. Roe turned to get a good look at it. Josh grabbed her arm, pulling her farther into the woods. "No stopping to marvel at the huge snake, kay?"

It started running along the edge of the forest, ramming against the trees, trying to finds its way in. The Dorito bag shook with its frustration. You could feel the vibration through the ground, shaking us as we staggered through.

"Does anyone have any idea what this thing is?" I asked as we ran. My friends shook their heads.

Finally, it found an opening big enough. It shot like bullet through the dark, damp forest night, banging into trees and plants. It spooked a few animals that still seemed to be out and about, despite the winter. The rustling really threw the creature off, and it was swinging this way and that, searching for us. We were having just about the same luck. We couldn't see where we were going, constantly running over each other, tripping a few times as well.

"What's the game plan?" Josh asked.

"Uh, run until it gives up?" I suggested, though I knew that wasn't going to work. This thing has way more stamina then three famished and worn-out kids.

"Come on, you're the only one who's been in a situation like this before," Roe said. "What do we do!?"

"You make it sound like those were well thought out and strategized situations. We basically ran in there waving our swords in the air!" I said. "There really was no planning going on!"

"Well then get your sword out and start swinging!" Roe said, pulling out her bow and arrows from her backpack. Josh grabbed something from the side pocket of his own. Figuring there was no better plan at the moment than pulling out our weapons, I pulled out my sword, readying myself as we continued to run.

The creature seemed to be getting its bearings, swiftly slithering through the forest. A frightened deer ran passed us. It could be compared to a full sized freight train running off tracks, its directions unpredictable.

"Okay, someone needs to get its attention," I said. "Keep it occupied while the other two try and kill it."

"I volunteer, I guess," Josh said, picking up a handful of stones and ice chunks off the ground, sliding them into his pockets. "Mind making this quick, I'm not sure I'm dedicated enough to get eaten for you guys."

"We'll move as quickly as possible," I promised. "Be careful?"

"I won't lie to you and say I will," he said, running off. We watched as he took a rock out of pocket, and loaded it into a leather strap. He swung it around his head, gaining some real momentum as he released one strap, launching the rock at the serpent's head. A sling shot. I had seen Josh slinging a few times at camp, but I never realized how good of a slinger he really was.

It reared up, turned around, and headed in Josh's direction. He ran, grabbed hold of a branch above it, and swung over the creature. He stopped, taking out an ice chunk, loading it up, hurling it at its Dorito bag.

"Try seeing if your arrows affect it at all," I told Roe. "If it doesn't penetrate the scales, go for the eyes." She nodded, notching an arrow, and dashing off.

I wouldn't be able to get close to it, not with a sword, not with it slithering so quickly through the forest. It was long, but it could certainly swing around quickly. I saw Josh swing around on another branch, just barely vaulting monsters round body.

"Cam, the arrows don't affect him!" Roe yelled from atop a tall tree.

"The scales prevent them from sinking in?" I asked.

"No! He just doesn't care that he's getting hit! I hit an eye and he blinked it out. He _freaking blinked it out!_"

I ran forward, desperately thinking of something to do, when its tail swung at my face. I swung at it with my sword, slicing off the very end of it. The monster let out a howling roar, screeching in pain. It lunged around and coming at me full speed. I ducked under a fallen tree, causing it to ram into the lumber.

"Whatever you just did, it really didn't like that," Josh yelled. I heard the wiz of rocks being launched.

No it really didn't. It was still screeching, even as it turned around and focused on my friends. Monsters don't like celestial bronze, I knew that. It obviously could cut through the serpent's thick skin, and if both Roe and Josh's weapons weren't affecting it, it would be up to my nameless sword to do the job.

Josh ran in front of the monster's path, not even realizing how close he was to its head. Roe, from her perch in the trees, launched an arrow at its nostril, enraging the already angry creature. It launched its body into the air, ramming its horns into her tree, knocking her from the branches. She cried out in pain as she hit the forest floor.

"Roe!" I yelled. I ran at the monsters body, sticking my sword into its body as I catapulted myself to the other side. It hissed and screamed, wagging wildly in the dirt. When she didn't reply, I became frantic. "Roe!"

"Down here," a voice whispered to me. I pulled up some brush, peering inside. Roe had crawled inside, and was clutching her ankle in agony. "I'll be up in a minute, just…give me a few seconds."

"You're hurt," I said.

"I'll be fine. Go, before it finds you."

I stood, covering my friend back up in the underbrush. I prayed she wouldn't be found as I scaled a tree. From up here, I could see all fifty-some feet of serpent. It was twisting itself around trees and boulders. It reminded me of that snake game of the computer, where it kept going, never stopping, but couldn't run into itself. It didn't seem to be slowing down in the lease bit. Just went faster and faster the angrier it got.

As Josh launched himself over it again, I got an idea.

"Josh!" I yelled. He looked up at me, swinging his slingshot over his head. "Run him through here!" I motioned to an open path in front of me. Josh nodded, letting a rock fly.

I made sure to move swiftly over to a low hanging branch, settling myself in the shadows. Josh ran through the path, being chased by the monster, giving me a thumbs up. I waited until the head passed before hooking my legs on the branch. I let the rest of my body swing back, like a little kid on the monkey bars, hanging upside-down. I thrust my sword into its back, running a long line right through the middle of it. It didn't stop, probably because it couldn't. The cut in its back just grew longer until it reached its cut off tail.

I flipped off the branch, landing on my feet. It continued its pace, running straight into an old oak tree, creating a huge serpent crash. The tree leaned back slowly. It creaked, and you could hear the snapping of wood as the tree slowly fell backwards. I cringed as it hit the forest floor, a loud rustling of leaves and _BANG _resonating throughout the woods.

Josh ran up beside me, his sling shot dangling in his hand. He gripped a rock in the other, ready to fight if the monster recovered. It didn't even twitch.

"Is it dead?" he asked.

I was about to answer when it slowly shrunk into a pile of golden dust.

"Now it is," I said.

"Can we not do that again?" he asked.

"That's probably not even the worst to come."

Josh groaned. "All I wanted was a bag of chips."

"So we all agree this is Josh's fault?" Roe's voice hollered from under a pile of branches.

"Yes!" I said, going over to free her. I pulled away all of the brush, and smiled, only to have it melt off my face. Roe's ankle had swollen up, and it looked painful. I knelt down and rested my hand on it, making her wince.

"Ouch," she said.

"Did you guys bring and ambrosia and nectar?" I asked, feeling how bad it was. "Feels like a sprain."

"I've got some nectar in my backpack," Roe said through clenched teeth. "Can you not touch that?"

Josh took her bag from her shoulders, opening it up. He looked up at me in fear. "Uh…"

I took the bag from him and peered inside. "Oh crap."

The bottle that the nectar had been stored in had been broken most likely in the fall. It had gotten all over her clothing and belongings. "Didn't you bring any ambrosia?"

Roe shook her head. I looked to Josh. The same. I picked out one of her shirts, holding it out to her. "You want to suck on this?" I suggested sheepishly.

"I can't walk on this," she said.

Josh rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. I have an idea. Just stay put and don't stand up."

He stood, sprinting out of the forest. I lifted her ankle as gently as possible, elevating it on my knee. Roe leaned back against a tree trunk, resting her eyes. "That was fun. How many more times do we get to do stuff like that?"

I chuckled. "Hopefully no more on this quest."

She leaned against my shoulder, resting her head on mine. I leaned back, holding her hand. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier," I said softly.

"I'm sorry for criticizing you before," Roe said. "I know you have your reasons for not telling them."

"Well I am kind of being a drama queen," I said, making us both laugh. "I just feel that if I tell them now…I'll never get them back. How could they ever forgive me for lying to them this long? I…I couldn't stand the thought of losing them now."

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you," she said.

"I'd rather you not, actually. How else am I going to know I'm messing up?"

Roe grinned. "That's true."

I looked over at what used to be a giant snake monster, and saw something shimmer in the moon light. I got up, and slowly made my way over to it. Dusting off monster dust, I found a bag of nacho cheese flavored Doritos.

I wagged them at Roe. "Look! A spoil of war!"

A light shone through the forest, blinding us. A car door could be heard slamming shut, and Josh ran over to us a few seconds later. "Okay, help me pick her up."

"What did you do?" I asked, grabbing Roe's ankles.

"I stole the owner's SUV," he said, grabbing her around her waist.

"Huh, maybe having a son of Hermes around wasn't such a bad idea," Roe said through the pain.

We lifted her off the ground, and carried her to the running car. We slid her in the back seat, laying her sprain on a pile of blankets. I took a plastic bag out from the back seat and filled it with snow and ice and placed it on her sock covered ankle. Roe cooed at the pleasurable feeling. "Ah, that's nice," she said.

Josh hopped in the driver's seat, mostly because he looked the oldest. I hopped up front with him.

"So, west?" he asked.

I smiled. "Start driving." I wiggled the Doritos in front of him. "And I may just allow you to have some."

He looked on in starving desperation. I took pity on him, and allowed him a handful.

"Turn the radio on, would ya?" Roe asked from the back seat. "I'd like to hear something other than your mushy flirting."

Josh smiled at me, turning on the radio.

_"Senator James McHenry and family went on an outing today,_" the radio talk show host said. _"Interestingly enough, right after Macey McHenry was kicked out of her latest boarding school. The big question that's being asked right now is: where is Macey to go next?"_

"Turn it to something interesting," Roe complained. "Who wants to hear about some rich kid getting kicked out of another school?"

"What is this, her tenth or something?" I scoffed. "Honestly, every time McHenry gets kicked out of a school, it's treated like some kind of scandal. Why can't people just learn to expect it. She's never going to stay in one place for long."

"At least you don't have to deal with her," Josh said, turning up the heat.

I nodded. "There is an upside."

* * *

**Yes, I'm a day late. I had prom, then mother's day, and I thought I was going to have energy on both those days to get stuff done, but I didn't. So I'm sorry. And now I'm too tired to do any more, so see you in a week.**

**Night Nerdletts.**


	15. Chapter 11-Part Two

GROVER GETS A LAMBORGHINI

* * *

**(Percy's pov.)**

* * *

We were crossing the Potomac when we spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one we'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward us.

"They know the van," I said. "We have to ditch it."

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

I shook my head. "The military probably thinks it's one of theirs. Cammie had a bunch of papers on standard modes of transportation for the government. That one up there looks to fit the bill."

"How can the General use mortals anyway?" Thalia asked.

"They volunteered, I think. The woman the General was talking to wasn't exactly…sympathetic towards other humans. She was pretty freaky actually. The General even _liked _her."

"Liked her?" Zoe shook her head. "I do not believe it is possible."

"No, he liked her alright. Her savage and uncivilized mind." I shook my head and shivered. "Like some sort of weird relationship."

"She sounds worse than a monster," Thalia said.

"She had a few of her agents '_taken care of'_." I sighed. "She gave me the willies."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic.

Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?"

But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No signs of a helpful thunderstorm.

"There!" Bianca said. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," Bianca said.

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. We left the van and followed Bianca down some steps.

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

We bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind us for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later we were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. As our train came above ground, we could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway."

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Grover frowned. "New? But that station looked really old."

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway."

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?"

Bianca nodded.

Now, I knew nothing about D.C., but I didn't see how their whole subway system could be less than twelve years old. I guess everyone else was thinking the same thing, because they looked pretty confused.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago…" Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"We need to change trains," I said. "Next station."

Over the next half hour, all we thought about was getting away safely. We changed trains twice. I had no idea where we were going, but after a while we lost the helicopter.

Unfortunately, when we finally got off the train we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I was glad for my new lion's fur coat. And the extra socks Cam had packed before.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking where might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"

We huddled around his fire. Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"_Feet,_" I corrected, for the sake of the homeless guy.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves."

I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. My sister was who knows where, all alone to make her way to us by herself. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's…convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

* * *

An hour later we were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C.

"Join you?" I asked her.

She shrugged, so I climbed into the shotgun seat.

The radio was playing the White Stripes. I knew the song because Cammie's old roommate, Savana from a few schools back, had really been into it. They didn't get along, and despite Cam's best efforts to hate it for that reason alone, she couldn't help but become addicted. Her and mom would sing it together in the car. It reminded mom of Led Zeppelin. Thinking about the two of them together made me sad, because it didn't look like we were going to make it home for Christmas. One of us might not make it home at all.

"Nice coat," Thalia told me.

I pulled the brown duster around me, thankful for the warmth. "Thanks, I pulled it right off the back of a pretty angry feline."

Thalia chuckled.

"The Nemean lion wasn't the monster we're looking for," I said.

"Not even close. We've got a long way to go."

"Whatever this mystery monster is, the General said it would come for you. They wanted to isolate you from the group, so the monster will appear and battle you one-on-one."

"He said that?"

"Well, something like that. Yeah."

"That's great. I love being used as bait."

"No idea what the monster might be?"

She shook her head morosely. "But you know where we're going, don't you? San Francisco. That's where Artemis was heading."

I remembered something Annabeth had said at the dance: how her dad was moving to San Francisco, and there was no way she could go. Half-bloods couldn't live there.

"Why?" I asked. "What's so bad about San Francisco?"

"The Mist is really thick there because the Mountain of Despair is so near. Titan magic—what's left of it—still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn't believe."

"What's the Mountain of Despair?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know? Ask stupid Zoe. She's the expert."

She glared out the windshield. I wanted to ask her what she was talking about, but I also didn't want to sound like an idiot. I hated feeling like Thalia knew more than I did, so I kept my mouth shut.

The afternoon sun shone through the steel-mesh side of the freight car, casting a shadow across Thalia's face. I thought about how different she was from Zoe-Zoe all formal and aloof like a princess, Thalia with her ratty clothes and her rebel attitude. But there was something similar about them, too. The same kind of toughness. Right now, sitting in the shadows with a gloomy expression, Thalia looked a lot like one of the Hunters.

Then suddenly, it hit me: "That's why you don't get along with Zoe."

Thalia frowned. "What?"

"The Hunters tried to recruit you," I guessed.

Her eyes got dangerously bright. I thought she was going to zap me out of the Mercedes, but she just sighed.

"I almost joined them," she admitted. "Luke, Annabeth, and I ran into them once, and Zoe tried to convince me. She almost did, but…"

"But?"

Thalia's fingers gripped the wheel. "I would've had to leave Luke."

"Oh."

"Zoe and I got into a fight. She told me I was being stupid. She said I'd regret my choice. She said Luke would let me down someday."

I watched the sun through the metal curtain. We seemed to be traveling faster each second—shadows flickering like an old movie projector.

"That's harsh," I said. "I'm assuming Luke wasn't a huge old jerk then like he is now. Otherwise you wouldn't have stayed." I thought of the Luke I had meet when Cammie and I had just arrived at camp. I could see why she wouldn't want to leave.

"Not even to this day has she been right," Thalia sighed. "He hasn't let me down."

"Even after what he's done?" I asked.

She looked at me. "Not even now."

I didn't want to tell her how she hasn't seen what he's become. She didn't know that Luke wasn't who he used to be. He was poison now. I was afraid for her. The only way this could end was in hurt. And it wasn't me who would be hurting.

"What will you do if you see him?"

"What I have to do."

I didn't envy her position. She and Luke were probably like me and Annabeth. Really good friends. If I was turned into a tree for several years, then came back and was told Annabeth had gone all dark side and was trying to destroy the world…I wouldn't want to believe it, no matter how much evidence piled up.

"You'd make a good Hunter, you know," I said.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You think I'm a know-it-all, egocentric maniac like them?"

"No," I said. "I think you're strong. And brave. And a lot like the Hunters. Only you act like a decent human being. You know, don't hate boys, and you treat people sort of nicely. You're what the Hunters should be."

"Okay, okay, shut up," Thalia said, but I could see her blush. "You're going to make me puke."

"I'm just saying, they'd be lucky to have you."

She smiled at me shyly. "Cam's lucky to have a brother like you. I'm sure she taught you how to behave, but you really are pretty great."

I shook my head. "No, no, you got it all wrong. Cammie doesn't know how to behave herself. Why do you think we get into trouble so often? She's always getting us into these pickles and never learns from them. She's just really good at getting us out of them."

"What I mean is, even now, you keep looking for her. You have so much faith in her."

"It's because she's brilliant," I said. "I've seen firsthand how well she can take care of herself. I just want to be alongside her so she doesn't have to go through it alone."

"If I could be half the sibling you are—" Thalia stopped dead in her tracks. She looked out the window before continuing. "I'd be a pretty good older sister."

"You'd make a great big sister," I said.

"Thank you for thinking that."

"I mean it, Thalia. Any kid would love having you around to take care of them."

She looked at me with those big sad eyes of hers. "It's nice to have someone actually believe that."

* * *

Thalia drifted off a bit later, leaving me sitting there wide awake. I left, and got into a car of my own, needing to be alone with my thoughts. I watched the sun go down. I thought about Annabeth. I was afraid to go to sleep, worried what I might dream about her, or the possibility I might dream about my sister, and not like what I see.

"Oh, don't be afraid of dreams," a voice said right next to me.

I looked over. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to find the homeless guy from the rail yard sitting the shotgun seat. His jeans were so worn out they were almost white. His coat was ripped, with stuffing coming out. He looked kind of a like a teddy bear that had been run over by a truck.

"If it weren't for dreams," he said, "I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids." He cleared his throat, then held up his hands dramatically:

_"Dreams like a podcast,_

_Downloading truth in my ears._

_They tell me cool stuff."_

"Apollo?" I guessed, because I figured nobody else could make a haiku that bad.

He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred."

"A god named Fred?"

"Eh, well…Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. But I'm not the only one breaking a few rules lately, and nobody messes with my baby sister. _Nobody._" He looked me over. "I'm assuming you understand the sentiment?"

I nodded. "Completely."

"Good. That's part of the reason why I'm helping you. Good big brothers need to protect their baby sisters."

"Helping? How?"

"Haven't you been looking outside?"

"The train. How fast are we moving?"

Apollo chuckled. "Fast enough. Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least."

"But where is Artemis?"

His face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. She's…clouded from me. I don't like it."

"I feel you there," I muttered, thinking of me and my own sister's bond.

"I'm guessing your sister is clouded from you as well." he said.

I nodded. "I don't know what it is. Everyone thinks she's…" I couldn't say it.

"What? Dead? No she's not," Apollo said.

"How do you know?" I asked eagerly. "Have you seen her?"

"Not personally," he said. "But don't you worry, she's alive, and aware of what's going on."

I tried not to happy dance with a god in the car. I knew she was the sixth. I had godly _proof_ she was. Suck that, Zoe!

"Do you know where she is?" I asked.

"On the move," Apollo shrugged. "I could tell you where exactly, but she wouldn't be there when you get to it. Just know she's making her way."

I smiled so brightly, I think I put even the sun god to shame. "You have no idea how absolutely amazing it is to hear that."

He sighed unhappily. "I wish I did."

Suddenly, I felt kind of bad for being so happy knowing my sister was okay. Not because she was okay, but because this brother didn't know himself. If it was possible, I understood how this god felt. If we even felt in the same ways.

"And Annabeth?" I asked hesitantly.

He frowned. "Oh, you mean that girl you lost? Hmmm… I don't know."

I understood—barely. I'd be more focused on finding my sister then someone else's friend if I was in his situation. Now that I thought about it, we actually were. I was in the same position as a god. That was…weird.

"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" I asked. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," Apollo said. "But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle."

"But it's _your _Oracle," I protested. "Can't you tell what the prophecy means?"

Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search."

"In other words, you don't know."

Apollo check his watch. "Ah, look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Percy, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!" He paused before saying quietly, "I'll keep an eye out for your sister. Just find mine."

Apollo snapped his fingers, and thing I knew I was closing my eyes.

* * *

In my dream, I was somebody else. I was wearing an old-fashioned Greek tunic, which was a little too breezy downstairs, and laced leather sandals. The Nemean Lion's skin was wrapped around my back like a cape, and I was running somewhere, being pulled along by a girl who was tightly gripping my hand.

"Hurry!" she said. It was too dark to see her face clearly, but I could hear the fear in her voice. "He will find us!"

It was nighttime. A million stars blazed above. We were running through tall grass, and the scent of a thousand different flowers made the air intoxicating. It was a beautiful garden, and yet the girl was leading me through it, as if we were about to die.

"I am not afraid," I tried to tell her.

"You should be!" she said, pulling me along. She had long dark hair braided down her back. Her silk robes glowed faintly in the starlight.

We raced up the side of the hill. She pulled me behind a thorn bush and we collapsed, both breathing heavily. I didn't know why the girl was scared. The garden seemed so peaceful. And I felt strong. Stronger than I'd ever felt before.

"There is no need to run," I told her. My voice sounded deeper, much more confident. "I have bested a thousand monsters with my bare hands."

"Not this one," the girl said. "Ladon is too strong. You must go around, up the mountain to my father. It is the only way."

The hurt in her voice surprised me. She was really concerned, almost like she cared about me.

"I don't trust your father," I said.

"You should not," the girl agreed. "You will have to trick him. But you cannot take the prize directly. You will die!"

I chuckled. "Then why don't you help me, pretty one?"

"I…I am afraid. Ladon will stop me. My sisters, if they found out…they would disown me."

"Then there's nothing for it." I stood up, rubbing my hands together.

"Wait!" the girl said.

She seemed to be agonizing over her decision. Then, her fingers trembling, she reached up and plucked a long white brooch from her hair. "If you must fight, take this. My mother, Pleione, gave it to me. She was a daughter of the ocean, and the ocean's power is within it. _My _immortal power."

The girl breathed on the pin and it glowed faintly. It gleamed in the starlight like polished abalone.

"Take it," she told me. "And make of it a weapon."

I laughed. "A hairpin? How will this slay Ladon, pretty one?"

"It may not," she admitted. "But it is all I can offer, if you insist on being stubborn."

The girl's voice softened my heart. I reached down and took the hairpin, and as I did, it grew longer and heavier in my hand, until I held a familiar bronze sword.

"Well balanced," I said. "Though I usually prefer to use my bare hands. What shall I name this blade?"

"Anaklusmos," the girl said sadly. "The current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea."

Before I could thank her, there was a trampling sound in the grass, a hiss like air escaping a tire, and the girl said, "Too late! He is here!"

* * *

I sat bold upright in the car's seat. Grover had crawled in and was shaking my arm.

"Percy," he said. "It's morning. The train's stopped. The girls have already gotten off. Come on!"

I tried to shake off my drowsiness. The metal curtains had been rolled up. Outisde were snowy mountains dotted with pine trees, the sun rising red between two peaks.

I fished my pen out of my pocket and stared at it. _Anaklusmos, _the Ancient Greek name for Riptide. A different form, but I was sure it was the same blade I'd seen in my dream.

And I was sure of something else, too. The girl I had seen was Zoe Nightshade.

* * *

As we walked up to Zoe, I tried not to stare. After all I just learned about her from my dream, I was feeling a bit…freaked out. I didn't know exactly how I should be reacting to it. Should I tell her I know? Pretend nothing happened? A combination of the two?

As we jumped off the train, I saw a disappearing shimmer that stood in front of the girls, but Grover and I were too far away to see what it was. We got closer and the shocked look on both Bianca and Thalia's faces, and the irritated one on Zoe's became clear.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Thalia and Bianca seemed to be at a loss of words. They gapped at one another, then me, then each other again.

Zoe did not, however. She turned to me, hands on hips, glaring. "Thy sister is very rude, boy."

* * *

**Yay! On time update for once! Early actually, but _SHHHHHH! Don't jinx it! Actually, if you constantly remind me people actually read this stuff, I feel obliged to work on this instead of homework. Italics _off. Don't know why they were on in the first place.**

**If any of you have read the Heroes of Olympus series, you know what I'm doing to Thalia. I've only fully read the first one in that series, and that was some time ago, so I'm no expert, and please correct me if you see information that is wrong, but yeah, I really enjoy writing that :)**

**I think that's all for now! I hope you liked that little bit at the end. Whatever could Zoe have meant by that? Haha, I'm having too much fun with this. It probably isn't healthy getting enjoyment from other people's pain because of cliffhangers. But neither are Oreos, and I'm very fond of those as well.**

**Hope you're enjoying your lives as human beings—or not human beings—on this lovely planet we call Earth. Have a good night Nerdletts.**


	16. Chapter 12-Part One

ROE SINGS A SHANTY AS WE GET ARRESTED

* * *

**(Cammie's pov.)**

* * *

_"Oh, I've been workin' on the raaaaaaail road, all the live long daaaay!"_

I groaned as it began again.

_"I've been workin' on the raaaaaail road, just to pass the time away!"_

"It sure isn't passing the time here," Josh grumbled from the driver's seat, clutching the wheel. Roe had begun to sing an hour ago, and she wasn't exactly…how do I say this nicely? Well I can't, so I'll just say, she was a tone deaf donkey with sandpaper for vocal cords. I'd rather listen to Grover's greatest hits on the pan flute then listen to her any longer.

"_Don't you hear the whistle blowin'? Rise up so early in the morn!"_

"Roe, I am begging you," I pleaded, turning around to face her. "Please, just _stop._"

"_Can't you hear the captain shouting,_" she sang louder (or screeching really). "_DINAH BLOW YOUR HORN!"_

"Dinah's going to die if she doesn't stop singing!" Josh yelled, swerving when he swung around to glare at her. I grabbed the wheel, straightening us out.

"Now, now, don't get angry at the cripple," Roe teased. Evil little she beast. She knew she couldn't' sing. She was just torturing us. Seeing how long it took for us to turn.

"No one would know," Josh said to himself. "No one would _know _if you left her on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and left her to die. _No one._" He turned to me. "You wouldn't tell right?"

I shook my head. "I'd be the one tossing her out."

"She wouldn't be able to catch up with a broken ankle."

"We could tell Chiron she was eaten by that thing back in Wisconsin."

"Okay, guys, I know I'm being annoying," Roe said, leaning forward. "But can we not talk about my death when we're driving in an area that kind of resembles a dessert? I'd rather not be that part of the prophecy."

None of us had mentioned the prophecy at all since we started traveling. At the moment, we were two people too many, if you included my group and then Percy's. At some point, two people were going to have to leave, and I didn't think it was going to be the people who died.

It felt really real then. Two people were going to die. One of them could easily be a friend. Me. My brother.

I shook my head. No. We were breaking prophecy right now. Eight people were heading west. That meant that there was a possibility that no one had to die. We were all good.

"What do you think that monster was, anyway?" Josh asked.

I shrugged. "I've never heard of anything like it." I dug into my backpack and pulled out my book of myths. I wiggled it at him. "Maybe I'll find something in here." To myself I muttered, "'Cause if I have to listen to one more railroad shanty, I'll burst."

"Weren't shanties usually sailor songs, not railroad songs?" Josh asked.

_"Come all ye young fellows that follow the sea, to my way haye, BLOW THE MAN DOWN!"_

"Does it matter?" I growled, burying my face in my book. "Anyway, shanties are sung to speed up labor, and you're not working!"

"Uh, yeah I am," Roe said, popping a combo from a bag she found in the back into her mouth. "I'm doing one of my favorite jobs. Annoying dork face up there. He needs to calm his perfect face down, and get a little _narked_."

"Narked?" Josh asked.

"British slang for annoyed or irritated," I said, not looking up from my book.

It took a few hours, but I finally tracked down our slithering friend.

"Ah ha!" I cheered, both because I found it and Roe had just stopped singing. "Tell me if this sounds like our perp.: large serpent like creature with two large horns. It burrows into the ground, leaving only the horns to stick out to lure in pray."

"Why, doesn't that sound familiar," Josh smiled. "What is it?"

"A Cerastes. Doesn't have much of a history, just that it exists. Or _not _anymore, I suppose. It's actually supposed to live in the desert. I wonder what it was doing in Wisconsin's frozen tundra."

"It was sick of the heat and wanted to go skiing?" Roe suggested. "Take a little retreat, hit the slops, nibble on a few demigods."

"Well it's dead, and all we have left of it is this bag." I wiggled the empty Doritos bag, giving Josh a raised brow.

He simply shrugged. "We all nearly died to get that bag of chips. I wasn't going to waste the effort."

"Yeah, especially because you didn't _share!_" Roe yelled angrily, nabbing the bag. "I break my ankle because you couldn't keep your stomach on a leash, and you didn't even give me a handful."

"I think we're all a little irritated, or…_narked?_ Is that the word? A little narked. We've been on the road for hours, and we need to stretch our legs. How about we stop in Bosler, Wyoming—"

"Bosler?" Roe sat up quite tall now, her voice flat. It was Roe tone for "I'm interested, but you don't know that".

"Yeah," Josh said. "How about we stop there, fuel up, stretch our legs—"

"How about Laramie?"

I studied her through the review mirror. "…Is that your hometown?" I asked hesitantly.

She shook her head. "No."

"So why Laramie?" Josh asked.

"I hear it's a must see stop in Wyoming," Roe said stubbornly.

"You need to give us a reason—"

I placed a hand on Josh's shoulder, stopping him. He looked at me, and I shook my head. Turning to face her, I said, "Okay, to Laramie we go."

* * *

Roe's face was pressed up against the SUV's windows, watching carefully. It wasn't particularly interesting. Just a town, like the many we passed through. But Roe seemed to be on a mission, trying to pick something out.

"Stop!" she commanded suddenly. "Gas station right there; stop."

We pulled over, and got out. Roe started walking across the street.

"Where are you going?" I called out to her.

"Stretching my legs!" she said.

As Josh started pumping gas, we shared a conserned look.

"You're ankle is still broken," Josh said. "How about you not start walking on it."

"It's feeling better already," she said as she limped. "I swear on that bag of Doritos you didn't share."

As she got out of ear shot, I turned to Josh. "I'm going to 'stretch my legs' too."

He nodded. "Keep an eye on her. Somethings not right. I'll catch up in a few minutes."

As I started following Roe, I slipped out of Cammie Jackson, demigod delinquent, and into Cammie Morgan, spy in training. Cammie Morgan is calm, she's collected, she's unnoticeable in a crowd. You'd probably run right into her because you never even realized she was there. She can take in her surroundings and blend in. You don't see her, you look over her. She's the chameleon, a pavement artist, and you don't find her if she doesn't want to be found. You have a better chance finding a needle in a haystack. Cameron Morgan is composed, invisible. A shadow. And that's who I become.

I blend in with a crowd of teenage girls, hiding in their ranks. When Roe looks back, I don't even duck as she looks right over me. I pretend to chat happily with a girl beside me, not even rising suspicion. I walk with them till they turn off onto a different street. Then I pull up my sweatshirt's hoodie and keep to the shadows of the building. I follow Roe all the way to a large building.

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

Why was Roe sneaking off to a university? We never talked about it, but I didn't think she was planning on going to college all the way across the country. She's only fourteen years old. I always imagined Roe kicking it back in New York for the rest of her life, doing whatever Roe does when I'm not around.

Heavy footsteps came up behind me. I spun, slapping a palm against Josh's mouth as I pushed us into an allyway.

"Whuwhehack?" he said.

"What?" I whispered, removing my hand.

"What the heck!" he whisper yelled, catching my quite drift. "We were right behind her."

"You were making too much noise," I said. "She would have seen us."

"Okay, but now we're losing her."

"She's heading to the University. I don't know why, though."

"Well, if you let go of me, we could go find out." The blush on Josh's cheeks was evident, and I felt my own coming on as well.

"Right, yeah. Let's go."

Could I be anymore stupid?

Roe seemed to be looking for someone, trying to get a look at everyone's faces. She seemed desperate, probably because she knew we had to leave soon and didn't want us to come looking for her.

And it was her desperate searching that compromised us. Peering across the way, she spotted Josh and I hiding behind a very skinny tree in the court yard. As she stomped over, I could tell she was pretty angry, but seriously, she shouldn't have expected anything less from us.

"Okay, I expected this from you Cammie," she hissed, "but seriously, Josh? You joined in?"

"I was concerned," he deflected. "You ran off without saying a word."

"I said I was stretching my legs."

"Stretching your legs doesn't mean don't follow me," I said, placing my hands on my hips. "And it doesn't involve you high tailing it to a University looking for something."

"Cammie, please, I just need to check something—"

"Roe?"

A deep masculine voice interrupted our conversation, making all of us freeze, but no one more then Roe. She slowly turned, facing the man.

He was tall, very tall. He had smooth black hair hidden under a baseball hat, and soft Asian features. His face was kind, though at the moment, shocked. He must have been a college student, because he seemed too old to be a professor and he carried a backpack. All of his focus was on Roe, and that made me nervous.

I went to step between them, not trusting this guy, no matter how nice he looked, but Roe took a step towards him.

"Hi, Adrian," she said softly, her voice full of emotion.

Adrian walked up to her, wrapping her up in his arms. There was sobbing, and I couldn't tell who it was coming from.

Josh leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

I nodded slowly. "I think he's her brother."

* * *

Josh and I decided to give the two some space to talk. Adrian had seemed beyond angry with Roe when they had pulled apart, much like any brother would be if he hadn't seen his little sister in who knows how long. We figured they needed to sort things out.

We walked to the park, and tried to pass the time swinging.

"I didn't know Roe had a brother," I said, kicking the dirt.

"I sort of guessed she did," Josh admitted. "I'd seen a picture he hid in her sock with her and some guy. I just didn't know who it was."

"No wonder she insisted we stop here," I said. "I'm betting she hasn't seen him since she first got to camp."

Josh shook his head. "I couldn't imagine it," he said. "I could never be away from my family that long."

Josh lived in Roseville, the same town Gallagher was located in. His step dad, Jacob Abrams, owned the Abrams and Son's pharmacy, the only pharmacy in town. He ran it with Josh's mom, Joan, and they all lived together with Josh's half-sister, Joy. Joan knew about Josh's godly side of the family, though she kept her husband and daughter ignorant. Jacob was a great guy, and he treated Josh like he was his own kid. He actually reminded me of Hermes, when I thought about it. The few times I had snuck out to go hang out with Josh and Dee Dee—another friend of ours—the family had greeted me kindly. Joan was famous in town for her pies, and she would always have a fresh baked blueberry one out and cooling by the time I got there.

"It's difficult," I said. "I would know."

"I'm kind of happy you're at Gallagher for school," Josh said softly.

"Why's that?"

"Because then I get to see you more often."

To anyone else, it sounded like a friend saying they'd miss you if you left. But to my girly infested brain, it was the equivalent to a confession of love.

"I'm glad you like seeing me," I smiled shyly.

"You're one of the most amazing girl's I've ever met, Cam," he said. "And you don't even know it."

We swung in silence, left to our own thoughts. I liked Josh, that much was obvious. But there were complications. Did he like me back? What would I do if he did? Kiss him? Date him? I mean, what do you even do with a boyfriend? It all seemed so complicated to me. Too complicated to risk a friendship for.

I blew a lock of hair out of my face. It was just safer not to say anything. Josh was my friend. My very cute friend who I had feelings for. It was better this way.

"Which, by the way," Josh said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm having some troubles with my math homework. And I was wondering if maybe, you know, you could help me out. When we get home-or back to Gallagher for you, that is."

I smiled brightly. "Not a problem. I'd love to help."

"Cool. It's just, you had Liz to teach you, and you know what you're doing, and you got the fancy glasses-" He stopped, and blushed. "Just, thanks."

We started swinging again.

"Hey Josh," I asked. "Did you happen to bring some Drachmas? Now that things have sort of calmed down and we might end up being here for a while, I want to try and call Percy. See what happens, you know?"

Josh nodded, handing me a coin from his pocket. "Go for it. Maybe we're close by and can meet up."

"I'm hoping." I walked over to a large puddle a few yards away. It was a sunny day, and no one was around, so I used my powers to create a curtain of mist in the air. The sun hit it just right, making a beautiful rainbow.

I sighed before tossing the coin in. "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please, _please_ accept my offering. Percy Jackson…uh, somewhere Westish."

It didn't do anything at first, and I was afraid I wasn't specific enough. But it started rippling, revealing figure. It did something weird, pausing mid ripple, then waving again, repeat. Finally, it seemed to settle on something.

"Percy?" I asked, watching hopefully as the figure cleared. It looked different than before. "Percy!"

The image cleared fully, just in time for me to see an arrow coming at my face. I, admittedly, squeaked, and dropped to the ground. Remembering it was only an image, I stood, trying to dust off my pants and my ego. "That's not the kind of welcoming greeting I was going for." But when I looked up, it wasn't my brother I saw. "Uh, who are you?"

"Thee should know, girl," my companion said to me, glaring. "Thee called me."

"Uh, no, I called my brother. And I'm kind of hoping you aren't him."

Another head popped into view, and this one I did recognize. "Bianca?"

"You're Cammie," she said, coming into full view. Her hair was pulled back now. She had really changed since I had seen her last. It was a nice change. She looked pretty.

"I am," I said, shrugging. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

The stranger turned to Bianca. "This is the boy's sister?"

"If by the boy, you mean Percy Jackson, then yes." I crossed my arms. "Where is he, by the way?"

"Grover's getting him," Bianca said. "This is Zoe Nightshade, by the way. She's a hunter."

"What does thy know about Artemis?" Zoe asked.

"Uh, pretty much nothing. Just that she's in trouble and needs to be found."

"What's going on?"

I knew that voice. "Thalia!" I cheered happily. "Come in my line of view!"

She stood before me, wide eyed. She looked almost as if she'd seen a ghost. "C-Cammie?"

I looked around. "Unless I've been body swapped with Josh, then yes."

"You-you're alive!" Thalia broke out into a huge grin. "Thank the gods, Percy was right. You're alive!"

"I thought thee already knew that," Zoe accused, glaring. Wow, she was not a happy one.

I could tell Thalia had her poker face on. "I did, but I'm glad to see with my own eyes."

I threw my hands in the air. "Seriously? Why did you guys think I was dead?"

"Thee fell off a cliff and have not been heard from in days," Zoe said. "It was the only logical answer."

"Yeah, a cliff into _water. _I don't know if you are aware or not, but I'm a daughter of Poseidon. Water doesn't kill me."

"But sharp rocks do."

"Look, some monsters got their paws on me and tried to adopt me, but look, I'm alive! Spread the word! Now—" I snapped my fingers. "Brother. Right now."

"First have you gotten off your train?" Zoe said.

"Uh, train?"

"Yes, train. Thalia had a dream where you were headed west on a train in search of Artemis."

"I've been riding in an SUV, in search of you guys," I said.

"But thee is supposed to have information on the lady Artemis," she insisted.

"I don't know what to tell you," I said. "I probably know less then you do."

"How are you getting around," Thalia said. "You can't drive yet."

"No, but Josh is good at steeling stuff, and he looks old enough."

"Josh," Zoe interrupted. "A boy. You are traveling with a boy?"

"And a girl named Roe," I said.

Zoe's face soured. "I remember her. Leave them. Both of them. You are the only one needed."

Okay, this chick was ticking me off.

"I'm not just leaving my friends," I ground out. "So get that through your head right now."

"It is bad enough I must travel with thy brother, I will not be allowing another boy on this quest."

"I don't know what you have against guys, but get _over _it." My voice was rising, and I'm sure that with anyone passing by, this looked weird. "Josh stays, and so does Roe. End of the freaking story."

"Thalia and thee are alike." Zoe shook her head. "Both so reliant on a boy's."

"I'm not reliant on boys' help. I'm reliant on my brother and my friends! You make it sound weak, but it keeps me strong. Probably stronger than you. Now I don't like you, and I pitty the poor souls who have to deal with you day after day. Get off your high horse, speak like a normal person, and get on my level. If you say one more slightly negative thing about my brother, regardless of whether I'm there to hear it myself or not, I will find you, and I will turn you to dust."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "Highly unlikely."

"I'm a demigod-Gallagher girl with a stubborn streak that put very well might put the gods to shame, and who loves her brother very much." I leaned towards the image, my famous Jackson stare on. "I don't know what you are, but I wouldn't count yourself a match if I were you."

Thalia stepped forward. "Okay, girls, let's back up. Zoe, you're being a snob. Back off. Cammie, no need to kill the snob yet. Percy should be here any second now—"

The image started to fade, as though someone had wiped it away. "Hey, hey!" I called, trying to bring it back with more water. But all I was left with was a rainbow.

I continued to try, running back to Josh to get more coins. But none of them worked. all I got was that weird rippling vision.

"I did not pay to talk to that chick," I muttered.

* * *

Josh, Roe and I all gathered back at the SUV. Roe sat silently in the back seat, studying her hands.

"So, was that your brother?" I asked.

She nodded mutely.

"He seemed happy to see you."

"He wants me to stay," she said suddenly. "Adrien wants me to come live with him during the school year."

I turned in my seat to look at her. "That's great! You'll get to be with your family."

"He wants me to move in today." Roe shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not?" Josh asked. "That sounds awesome."

"That means quitting the quest. I can't do that to you guys."

"He's your brother," I protested. "You deserve some time away from all the monster training, and get out of camp."

"Do you want me to stay behind?"

I sighed. "That's not what this is about, Roe. Quests are dangerous. You might not get to see your brother again if you stay."

Josh studied her in the rearview mirror. "And if no one's going to bring it up, I will: Roe, your ankle is broken. Don't think I didn't see you struggling to walk back there. Which by the way, stupid idea. If you can barely walk, you're not going to be able to run. We're trying not to complete the prophecy and loose a life. Especially not yours."

"Don't get all mushy on me, lover boy," Roe teased half-heartedly.

"I mean it, Roe. You're my friend. You're both of our friends," Josh said stiffly. "I won't endanger your life when you're already at a higher risk, and we could have done something to save you."

"Okay, okay," I soothed, putting a hand on his arm. "Calm down. Roe, it's your choice; I won't take that away from you. But he makes a good point. You're hurt and we have nothing to heal you with at the moment. You need to decide."

As we speed down the abandoned country road, Roe debated her choices. The lack of singing or noise in the vehicle was unnerving. It could have distracted me from the thought that Roe might be leaving me for a while. For hours I had to put up with it, and now, it was all I wanted. I wanted her safe, without a doubt. But I also wanted her with me, so I knew just how safe she was. I didn't like not knowing.

"I-I think I'll stay," she said a while later.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded. "Josh is right. I'm hurt, and I don't want to weigh you down. If we're in a bind, I'll be as good as dead, and I really don't want to die."

"You want us to drop you off at Adrian's?"

"That would be a good idea. He'll be happy to have me home."

Josh smiled sadly at her. "Don't be all tough and macho. You're happy to be going home."

Roe smiled to herself. "Yeah."

It was enough to calm my burning nerves. Roe had wanted to get out of camp, I knew that. And now she was. She was going to be happy, having family by her side. Being an undetermined camper made it difficult to feel like you belonged. I would know, Percy and I were for a while as well. But I also knew how much being with your family made it all the better.

"Try not to be such a handful for him, alright?" I teased, reaching back and squeezing her hand.

"What kind of little sister would I be if I wasn't?" Roe as, smirking.

Through the back window, I saw lights start to flash. Red and blue. A siren called out to us, commanding that we pull over.

"Were you going over the speed limit?" I hissed at Josh.

"No! It's a 55! I was going 54!" he said.

"Headlight out? Were you driving on the wrong side of the road? Did you start swerving?"

"No, I was driving fine!"

"Guy's, two of them are coming," Roe said, looking out the rear end of the SUV.

I sighed, trying to calm myself. "It's okay. If we can take monsters, we can take mortals. Let's try knocking them out. I think I have some napotine patches left in my jacket. It's in the back seat. Roe—"

Josh's door opened, and one of the officer's peered in. He was pale, and had nearly white hair, despite looking fairly young. His eyes were pitch black, staring at us coldly. His partner, a dark skinned man with pale blue eyes stood behind him. They both looked similar to one another.

"Get out of the car," the pale man said in a raspy voice.

"Uh, aren't you going to check for my license first?" Josh joked nervously.

The cop wasn't having it. He reached in, unbuckled Josh, and pulled him out by his shoulder.

"Hey!" I yelled, hopping out, my backpack no my shoulder. Maybe I had something in here that could possibly get rid of them. "You can't do that. That goes against his rights to—"

As I rounded the SUV, I noticed something a little bit…_different _about this cops. For one, they were not wearing the standard uniform. And two, they were sort of attached to one another. And by that, I mean, instead of legs, they were held up by the thick fleshy body of a snake, one end attaching to the pale man, and the other to blue eyes. They were literally one body.

Roe rolled down the window and looked out to yell. When she saw, she cursed.

"Just our luck," she muttered.

* * *

**I'm late! I'm late, for a very important update! No time to say I'm sorry dear friends, I'm late I'm late I'm late! (See what I did there? Huh, huh? No…yeah…)**

**Okay, I'll say sorry. I forgot it was memorial day weekend, and that my family might actually want to see my face, and I got this amazing story inspiration bomb, and had to jump on that before it all disappeared. No excuse, I know. I know many of you guys were excited to see what Cam had to say to Zoe, and I hope I didn't disappoint. **

**Which, by the way, if narked is not actually something people in the UK say, let me know. I'm for the U.S. and the internet is only so trust worthy. If anyone out there is from the UK and could correct me if I'm wrong and give me a replacement for annoyed, that would be awesome.**

**Either way, I'm off to start the next chapter! Night nerdletts!**


	17. Chapter 12-Part Two

I GO SNOWBOARDING WITH A PIG

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

My steps towards the girls became quick, and I nearly tripped over myself. "What do you mean?" I asked. "What do you mean my sister is rude? You've never met her."

"Just did," Zoe said, crossing her arms. "I thought thee was bad, but thy sister is worse."

I spun around, trying to spot her. "Cammie? She's here? Where is she?"

"Iris message, Percy," Thalia said, trying to wipe away her shock. "She called us through an Iris message."

"Called _you?_ Why you? Why not me? I mean, I'm her brother. And, she loves you and all, Thalia," I said, "but I think I kind of beat you in the favorite relative area."

"She did try and call you," Bianca said, looking very confused. "But for some reason Zoe got it instead."

"_Zoe?_" I looked at the flustered hunter. "But she doesn't even know you exist." Suddenly the thought of my firecracker of a sister talking to hating Zoe popped into my head, and I grew very concerned. "Oh gods, what did she say?"

Zoe was silent before saying, "Thy sister loves thee very much."

_Oh no._

"She put Zoe in her place," Thalia explained, smirking widely. "Don't worry, Percy, you are defended."

Now I didn't know if I _wanted _to hear what Cammie had said (or more likely yelled) at the hunter. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Okay, but why did she…_hang up?_" Grover asked. "Why isn't she still here?"

All of the girl's faces became confused again.

"It was odd," Zoe admitted, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "She did not dismiss the call, nor did any of us. You came in sight, and she disappeared."

I threw my hands in the air. "How is that even possible?"

"Cammie mentioned these monsters," Thalia said. "Something about them _adopting _her? I didn't really understand, but it sounds like she had a run in with some monsters, and they didn't want to let her go. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

"I tried calling Cammie before once," I said. "I got nothing."

"Maybe the monsters are blocking her communication," Bianca suggested. "Making it so she can't get in contact with anyone."

"Then how did she call Zoe?" Thalia asked.

"Maybe their hold is slipping," Grover said. "Just enough to get ahold of someone for a minute or two."

"To block Iris…" Zoe shook her head. "That would take a lot of strength. _Old magic._"

My face darkened. "You think the General could be behind this?" I asked.

Zoe's face matched mine. "I think the General is busy with other matters. He wouldn't concern himself with keeping the two of you apart."

"I don't know," Grover said, shaking his head. "Those two together make quite a formidable force. Luke would know that."

"But apart, they would tear to world to pieces to find each other," Thalia finished. "No, if anything, the General wants this. He wants to distract them."

"Still, he wouldn't waste his own time and energy," Zoe insisted. "It must be something else at work."

"Whatever it is," Bianca said softly, "I think we need to keep going. We can't get side tracked trying to find her."

Thalia and Grover seemed reluctant, but they agreed. "Like I said, Percy, the General would want this to happen. We should keep moving and find Artemis."

"How about you guys keep going, and I find Cammie?" I suggested.

"I'm not apposed," Zoe shrugged.

Thalia crossed her arms and glared at me. "Percy you can't go alone."

"Oh, but you'll let Cammie wonder around by herself?" I rebutted angrily.

"She's not alone," Zoe said, flapping an indifferent hand. "She has the girl Roe and the boy Josh to accompany her."

Suddenly my furry was pointed elsewhere. "I'm sorry, did you just say _Josh _was with my sister?"

"You need to keep your mouth shut," Thalia hissed at Zoe. She turned to me and tried to sooth my ruffled feathers. "Come on, Josh isn't a bad guy. He'll take care of Cammie."

"You mean he'll try to _kiss _Cammie." I crossed my arms. "No, not happening. I'm not leaving those two alone for an expended amount of time."

Thalia groaned. "Josh is a sweetheart! And Roe is with them. She'll be fine."

"Everyone knows Josh had a crush on my sister," I growled.

"It's not exactly secret she has a crush of him too," Grover giggled.

"I'm sorry, are you one to talk?" I snapped at him, causing him to blush.

"Again, Roe will be there to keep things rated G," Thalia said.

"Roe will _encourage _it!" I shouted.

"Wow, he's a bit protective, isn't he?" Bianca muttered to Thalia.

"Yes," the daughter of Zeus said. "Yes he is."

"What else did she say?" Grover asked. "Or did she just scream?"

"She knows about the quest," Zoe said. "And she's searching for us. Also—" she glared at Thalia. "She is not on a train, nor does she have any imformation on the lady Artemis."

Thalia shrugged. "Maybe it was just a dream."

"Or it was a lie _thee _conspired with the boy on," Zoe hissed.

"I plead the fifth."

"The _what?_"

Thalia sighed. "Never mind."

"Cammie's smart," Grover assured me. "She's been at Gallagher for two years now. She has a better chance finding us then we do her."

Cammie was brilliant, I knew that. I didn't like to admit it, but Gallagher had taught her a lot of useful things—thing that could be used to track us down. And Thalia was right. If I left to go find my sister, I might be playing right into the General's hands.

I grumbled to myself. "Okay, okay, fine. I won't go looking for her, but at least let me try calling her? If she got through, even for a little bit, it's worth the try."

Surprisingly, it was Zoe who scrounged up a few Drachmas. "If it will keep your head in the right place," she explained.

* * *

We'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pines trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

Even with my lion-skin coat, I was freezing by the time we got to Main Street, which was about half a mile from the train tracks. My attempts to call Cam were useless. Nothing was connecting. Maybe she used up all her juice. I hid a few coins in my pocket to try again later.

As we walked, I told Grover about my conversation with Apollo the night before—how he'd told me to seek out Nereus in San Francisco.

Grover looked uneasy. "That's good, I guess. But we've got to get there first."

I tried not to get too depressed about our chances. I didn't want to send Grover into a panic, but I knew we had another huge deadline looming, aside from saving Artemis in time for her council of the gods. The General had said Annabeth would only be kept alive until the winter solstice. That was Friday, only four days away. And he'd said something about a sacrifice. I didn't like the sound of that at all.

We stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "With wax paper."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions."

We agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes. Bianca looked a little uncomfortable with us, but she did.

Inside the store, we found out a few valuable things about Cloudcroft: there wasn't enough snow for skiing, the grocery store sold rubber rats for a dollar each, and there was no easy way in or out of town unless you had your own car.

"You could call for a taxi from Alamogordo," the clerk said doubtfully. "That's down at the bottom of the mountains, but it would take at least an hour to get here. Cost several hundred dollars."

The clerk looked so lonely, I bought a rubber rat. Then we headed back outside and stood on the porch.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumped. "I'm going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion."

"But the clerk said—"

"I know," she told me. "I'm checking anyway."

I let her go. I knew how it felt to be restless. All half-bloods had attention deficit problems because of our inborn battlefield reflexes. We couldn't stand just waiting around.

Bianca and I stood together awkwardly. I mean…I've had enough practice talking with girls—what with having Cammie as a sister, and Annabeth as my best friend—but I'd never been alone with Bianca before. I wasn't sure what to say, especially now that she was a Hunter and everything.

"Nice rat," she said at last.

I set it on the porch railing. Maybe it would attract more business for the store.

"Your sister seems…" Bianca seemed to be looking for the right word. "I mean, I only meet her for that short while at Westover, and then during the Iris message, but she's very…spirited."

I smile. "You mean crazy."

Bianca gave me a small grin. "She sure doesn't hold back what she's thinking."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Not in the least bit. I'm guessing she was as rude and disrespectful as she possibly could have been?"

The young hunter shrugged. "Only after she was provoked."

My heart warmed a bit. "That's my little sister. She's the smartest, most blunt girl I know." I looked down at Bianca. "She can come off a bit unhinged, but Cammie's really a nice girl."

"I don't doubt it," she said. "She sort of gives off that vibe. When she's not yelling."

I smirked up at the sky. Everyone liked Cammie, except for the select few who happen to get on her bad side. She's bright, and driven, and has such a good heart. If I was proud of anything, it would have to be that I get to call her my little sister.

"So…" I said, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. "How do you like being a Hunter so far?"

She pursed her lips. "You're not still mad at me for joining, are you?"

"Nah. Long as, you know…you're happy."

"I'm not sure 'happy' is the right word, with Lady Artemis gone. But being a Hunter is definitely cool. I feel calmer somehow. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's immortality."

I stared at her, trying to see the difference. She did seem more confident than before, more at peace. She didn't hide her face under a green cap anymore. She kept her hair tied back, and she looked me right in the eyes when she spoke. With a shiver, I realized five hundred years from now, Bianca di Angelo would look exactly the same as she did today. She might be having a conversation like this with some other half-blood long after I was dead, but Bianca would still look twelve years old.

"Nico didn't understand my decision," Bianca murmured. She looked at me like she wanted assurance it was okay.

I wasn't going to lie to her. Lying would do her no good.

"Brothers never do at first. But despite popular belief, you can push things into our thick skulls." I sighed. "Honestly, I can see where he's coming from. As I'm sure you know already. My sister and me have been together since birth. Same schools, same classes. Then she got offered a scholarship at some fancy Academy. A spy school, actually, but I didn't tell you that. Anyway, she left, and I was really mad at her for a while."

"How long," Bianca asked timidly.

"A year. But I got over it." I shrugged. "She's my sister. I couldn't stay angry at her."

"So you forgave her?"

"_Her, _yes. The school I still hate." I smiled. "So rest assured, Nico will forgive you. But he'll probably hate the Hunter forever."

Bianca chuckled. "I can live with that."

"Don't worry," I said. "He'll be alright. Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids. They did that for Annabeth."

Bianca nodded. "I hope we find her. Annabeth, I mean. She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"Lot of good it did her."

"Don't blame yourself, Percy. You risked your life to save my brother and me. I mean, that was seriously brave. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have felt okay about leaving Nico at the camp. I figured if there were people like you there, Nico would be fine. You're a good guy."

The compliment took me by surprise. "Even though I knocked you down in capture the flag?"

She laughed. "Okay. Except for that, you're a good guy."

I shifted nervously. "Well, I actually need to come clean about something. Those hunters who got stuck together with that gum…I sort of indirectly had something to do with it."

Her face dropped. "Were _you _the one who told Nico to do that?"

"No! No, I'm just the one who gave him the gum. Before capture the flag, he just looked so down I wanted to cheer him up. I thought maybe he's throw it on the ground and a hunter might step in it or something harmless." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Forgot how vicious angry little boys can be."

A couple hundred yards away, Grover and Zoe came out of the coffee shop loaded down with pastry bags and drinks. I kind of didn't want them to come back yet. It was weird, but I realized I liked talking to Bianca. She wasn't so bad. a lot easier to hang out with than Zoe Nightshade, anyway.

"So, what's the story with you and Nico?" I asked. "Where did you go to school before Westover?"

She frowned. "I think it was a boarding school in D.C. It seems like so long ago."

"You never lived with your parents? I mean, your mortal parent?"

"We were told our parents were dead. There was a bank trust for us. A lot of money, I think. A lawyer came and checked in on us every once and a while. Then Nico and I had to leave that school."

"Why?"

She knit her eyebrows. "We had to go somewhere. I remember it was important. We traveled a long way. And we stayed in this hotel for a few weeks. And then…I don't know. One day a different lawyer came to get us out. He said it was time for us to leave. He drove us back east, through D.C. Then up into Maine. And we started going to Westover."

It was a strange story. Then again, Bianca and Nico were half-bloods. Nothing would be normal for them.

"So you've been raising Nico pretty much all your life?" I asked. "Just the two of you?"

She nodded. "That's why I wanted to join the Hunters so bad. I mean, I know it's selfish, but I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico—don't get me wrong—I just needed to find out what it's like not to be a big sister twenty-four hours a day."

I thought about Cammie and I's childhood. We were always together, and I always took care of her, but it wasn't like Nico and Bianca. I didn't have to raise Cammie, we had mom for that. So I understood, at least just a little.

"Zoe seems to trust you," I said. "What were you guys talking about, anyway—something dangerous about the quest?"

"When?"

"Yesterday morning on the pavilion," I said, before I could stop myself. "Something about the General."

Her face darkened. "How did you…the invisibility hat. Were you eavesdropping?"

"No! I mean, not really. I just—"

I was saved from trying to explain when Zoe and Grover arrived with the drinks and pastries. How chocolate for Bianca and me. Coffee for them. I got a blueberry muffin, and it was so good I could almost ignore the outraged look Bianca was giving me.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoe said. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?"

"Umm," Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. "I think so. I just need to—"

He froze.

I was about to ask what was wrong, when a warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else—almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

Zoe gasped. "Grover, thy cup!"

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away—a flock of tiny doves. My rubber rat squeaked. It scampered off the railing and into the trees—real fur, real whiskers.

Grover collapsed next to his coffee, which steamed against the snow. We gather around him and tried to wake him up. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

"Hey!" Thalia said, running up from the street. "I just…what's wrong with Grover?"

"I don't know," I said. "He collapsed."

"Uuuuuhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

* * *

We made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared. They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes.

They drew their handguns. I'll admit I used to think it would be kind of cool to learn how to shoot a gun, but after finding out that Gallagher taught their students how, I kind of grew less fond of the idea. Even more so when the skeleton warriors pointed theirs at me.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. their glowing yellow eyes bored right into me.

I drew Riptide, though I wasn't sure what good it would do against guns.

Zoe and Bianca drew their bows, but Bianca was having trouble because Grover kept swooning and leaning against her.

"Back up," Thalia said.

We started to—but then I heard a rustling of branches. Two more skeletons appeared on the road behind us. We were surrounded.

I wondered where the other skeletons were. I'd seen a dozen at the Smithsonian. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it.

Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone. suddenly I understood what was going on. The skeletons had split up to look for us. These skeletons were now calling their brethren. Soon, we'd have a full party on our hands.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"It's here," I said.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The first from the Wild."

I don't know what he was talking about, but I was worried about his condition. He was in no shape to walk, much less fight.

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia said. "Four of them. Four of us. Maybe they'll ignore Grover that way."

"The Wild!" Grover moaned.

A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, but I kept my eyes on the skeletons. I remembered the General gloating over Annabeth's fate. I remember the way Luke had betrayed her. I remembered losing both her and my sister. The feeling when I thought they were both dead.

I charged.

The first skeleton fired. Time slowed down. I won't say I could see the bullet, but I could feel its path, the same way I felt water currents in the ocean. I deflected it off the edge of my blade and kept charging.

The skeleton drew a baton and I sliced off his arms at the elbows. Then I swung Riptide through his waist and cut him in half.

His bones unknit and clattered to the asphalt in a heap. Almost immediately, they began to move, reassembling themselves. The second skeleton clattered his teeth at me and tried to fire, but I knocked his gun into the snow.

I thought was doing pretty well, until the other two skeletons shot me in the back.

"Percy!" Thalia screamed.

I landed facedown in the street. Then I realized something…I wasn't dead. The impact of the bullets had been dull, like a push from behind, but they hadn't hurt me.

The Nemean Lion's fur! My coat was bulletproof!

Thalia charged the second skeleton. Zoe and Bianca started firing arrows at the third and fourth. Grover stood there and held his hands out to the trees, looking like he wanted to hug them.

There was a crashing sound in the forest to our left, like a bulldozer. Maybe the skeletons' reinforcements were arriving. I got to my feet and ducked a police baton. The skeleton I'd cut in half was already fully re-formed, coming after me.

There was no way to stop them. Zoe and Bianca fired at the their heads point-blank, but the arrows just whisled straight through their empty skulls. One lunged at Bianca, and I thought she was a goner, but she whipped out her hunting knife and stabbed the warrior in the chest. The whole skeleton erupted into flames, leaving a little pile of ashes and a police badge.

"How did you do that?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know," Bianca said nervously. "Lucky stab?"

"Well, do it again!"

Bianca tried, but the remaining three skeletons were wary of her now. They pressed us back, keeping us at baton's length.

"Plan?" I said as we retreated.

Nobody answered. The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were cracking.

"A gift," Grover muttered.

And then, with a mighty roar, the largest pig I'd ever seen came crashing into the road. It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"_REEEEET!_" It squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arms bones twirling everywhere.

Then the pig turned on us.

Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it!"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"That the Erymanthian Boar," Zoe said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we _can _kill it."

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said "_REEEEET!_" and swung its tusk. Zoe and Bianca dived out the way. I had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.

"Yeah, I feel blessed!" I said. "Scatter!"

We ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.

"It wants to kill us!" Thalia said.

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"So hiw is that a blessing?" Bianca asked.

It seemed a fair question to me, but the pig was offended and charged her. She was faster than I realized. She rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast. It lashed out with its tusks and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

I racked my brain, trying to remember Cammie reading me this myth. I was pretty sure Hercules had fought this thing once, but I couldn't remember how he'd beaten it. I had a vague memory of the boar plowing down several Greek cities before Hercules managed to subdue it. I hoped Cloudcroft was insured against giant wild boar attacks.

"Keep moving!" Zoe yelled. She and Bianca ran in opposite directions. Grover danced around the boar, playing his pipes while the boar snorted and tried to gouge him. But Thalia and I won the prize for bad luck. When the boar turned on us, Thalia made the mistake of raisign Aegis in defense. The sight of Medusa's head made the boar squeal in outrage. Maybe it looked too much like one of his relatives. The boar charged us.

We only managed to keep ahead of it because we ran uphill, and we could dodge in and out of trees while the boar had to plow through them.

On the other side of the hill, I found an old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow.

"This way!" I grabbed Thalia's arm and we ran along the rails while the boar roared behind us, slipping and sliding as it tried to navigate the steep hillside. Its hooves just were not made for this, thank the gods.

Ahead of us, I saw a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. I had a crazy idea.

"Follow me!"

Thalia slowed down—I didn't have time to ask why—but I pulled her along and she reluctantly followed. Behind us, a ten-ton pig tank was knocking down pine trees and crushing boulders under its hooves as it chased us.

Thalia and I ran into the tunnel and came out on the other side.

"No!" Thalia screamed.

She'd turned as white as ice. We were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into the snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below.

The boar was right behind us.

"Come on!" I said. "It'll hold our weight, probably!"

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear.

The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

"Now!" I yelled at Thalia.

She looked down and swallowed. I swear she was turing green.

I didn't have time to process why. the boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward us. Plan B. I tackled Thalia and sent us both sideways off the edge of the bridge, into the side of the mountain. We slid on Aegis like a snowboard, over rocks and mud and snow, racing downhill. The boar was less fortunate' it couldn't turn that fast, so all ten tons of the monster charged out into the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift with a huge _POOOOOOF!_

Thalia and I skidded to a stop. We were both breathing hard. I was cut up and bleeding. Thalia had pine needles in her hair. Next to us, the wild boar was squealing and struggling. All I could see was the bristly tip of its back. it was wedged completely in the snow like Styrofoam packing. It didn't seem to be hurt, but it wasn't going anywhere, either.

I looked at Thalia. "You're afraid of heights."

Now that we were safely down the mountain, her eyes had their usual angry look. "Don't be stupid."

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus. Why you didn't want to talk about it."

She took a deep breath. Then she brushed the pine needles out of her hair. "If you tell anyone, I swear—"

"No, no," I said. "That's cool. It's just…the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?"

She was about to knock me into the snow when, above us, Grover called down, "Hellooooo?"

"Down here!" I shouted.

A few minutes later, Zoe, Bianca, and Grover joined us. We stood watching the while boar struggle in the snow.

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"I agree," Zoe said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. She still looked like she'd just lost a fight with a Christmas tree. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"Fun," I said. "Like…pig cowboys."

Grover nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish…I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?"

Grover didn't seem to hear me. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back. already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Once it broke free, they're be no stopping it. Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

She trudged over and jumped behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of us.

Zoe and Bianca walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," I said. "Do you know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe said. "Do you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong…I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

She stared at me like I was an idiot. "The lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

* * *

**One day later then scheduled, but one day less than a week. That counts for something, right? Even though it's summer where I am, I was hit by a cold and have been absolutely miserable. I would have had this out yesterday if I hadn't tried to sleep it off. Anyway, that's all for this week. Next up is Cammie and the snake twins. Sorry for having two snake monsters, but I really like these guys that are coming up. **

**See you next week nerdletts!**


	18. Chapter 13-Part One

I MEET MY NEW ENEMIES

* * *

**(Cammie's pov.)**

* * *

"It is official," Roe hissed. "I hate snakes. I _hate _them. That Cerastes I could deal with just barely. But this is _two times _in the last twenty-four hours that we've been attacked by snakes!"

My friends and I, after being shoved into the back of a cop car for what felt like hours, were taken to the monster's lair. Monsters or just monster? I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be plural or not. They seemed like two people, but they shared a body. Anyway, it was way out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but bushes and boulders in the surrounding area. A cabin about ten feet by twenty was just barely standing. The two ended snake…thing dragged us all in, and the only thing there was a manhole cover. They lifted it away and threw us all down one by one.

Below, there was what looked like a bomb shelter, only bigger. There were two doors leading elsewhere. The walls were rusted steel, and the only lighting came from the hanging light fixtures from the ceiling. The ground was covered in an inch of dirt with a snake trail pattern.

"I swear, there isn't normally this many snakes," I told Roe, trying to loosen the ropes that tied my hands together to the ceiling.

"How dare you!" one end yelled, turning to look at us. It was the pale end. "Comparing us to that over grown garden worm! That thing was a senseless _fiend!_"

"And what exactly do you call yourselves?" Josh asked temperamentally. He didn't seem to be enjoying hanging from his wrists.

"Ant eaters," the other one said, barely up from what he was doing.

"Ant eaters?" I asked doubtfully. "You eat ants? Then what do you want with us?"

"You see, we're something called the Amphisaena!" the pale one said cheerfully. Looking closer now, I realized his skin was pure white, and almost transparent. His hair seemed to fade away into nothing. "When Perseus cut off Medusa's head all those millennia ago, he carried it back and left drippings of her blood all over the Libyan desert." The thing giggled. Actual gigglige. "That's how we were born. Then some guy—Cato or whatever—he and his army ran through. They didn't take to kindly to us, did they brother?"

The other head shook, smiling adoringly at his brother. "No they did not. They tried killing us."

"That's how we grew an appreciation for corpses. You see, commonly we eat ants. But they can get pretty old fast. Just having them all the time is so tiring. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It never stops! There's just no way to spice them up."

"So anytime we come across something _new—_" the darker half sent us a glance.

"We take advantage!" the other said excitedly. "Oh, they'll just taste so good! Don't you think brother?"

The dark end smiled, tussling the pale one's nearly non-existent hair.

Roe gave me a horrified look. "Uggg, this is so _gross._"

I couldn't help but agree.

The two ends were talking quietly to each other, debating. They held up strange looking objects, daggers and various weapons.

"This is insane," Roe groaned. "I though monsters were mindless creatures, like that one back in Wisconsin."

I shook my head. "Not _all _monsters are. Most are stupid, but not mindless."

"They kind of remind me of you and Percy, actually," Josh said, studying the creature.

"_What?_" I asked, glaring at him.

"Well, it's just, obviously they're twins, or at least siblings. And that pale guy's pretty chipper—kind of like you. Gets excited about really weird stuff. And the other one is kind of dotting on him. I mean, it's not a perfect match—you're not living on a diet of ants and demigods, I hope—but they sort of resemble the two of you."

The two headed monster laughed with one another on the other side of the room. I nearly threw up as I saw what Josh was saying.

"Shut up," I hissed at him, kicking some dirt his way. I turned back towards the Amphisaena and yelled, "But we're not corpses yet!"

"Not yet, but you will be," the dark end said plainly, holding up a long silver sword. He ran his hand across the blade, testing it. "We'll make it quick. We don't do this for the pain."

The pale head nodded. "Yes, yes, we don't like harming our food, but what else is there? There's always pain in death."

The start to a plan formulated in my head. "Well, not necessarily."

Two heads turned towards me in interest. "OH?" the pale one asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Telchine?" Both ends cringed, but nodded. "Well, I spent a few months with them, and they are well known for their poison, as I'm sure you're aware. They taught me so much during my time with them. Like how to make poison that kills its victims harmlessly."

"Harmlessly, eh?" the pale one mused, tapping his chin. "Doesn't seem their style. But it would certainly ease my conscience."

"And, I mean, you can't eat me," I said, shaking my head. "No, no, no, I'm poisoned."

"How so?" the dark one asked, honestly intrigued.

"Well after spending so much time with the Telchine, I built up this immunity to poison, and became poisonous myself. I'm kind of like a monarch butterfly. I'd taste bitter and eating me would actually kill you.

"Oh gosh, we can't eat her," the pale head said worriedly. "I don't want that sour taste in my mouth."

The other end studied me with suspicion. "You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course I'm not lying," I lied. "It's the truth. We drank poison with our meals to grow strong."

"Then I say we let her go."

"After she tells us how to make this poison."

They released me from my bonds, and lead me over to the table. My friends looked on in betrayal. I mouthed to them to hold on. I had a plan. The monsters gave me a pen and paper, and I wrote down the recipe to a sleeping poison that left the victim dazed and confused, but didn't kill them. It would give me enough time run up to the police car parked outside of the cabin where they left our weapons. They may be dumb enough to let me go, but they could spot weapons a mile away.

"Okay, and let that simmer for three hours," I said, handing the paper to them. Yeah, I'd definitely have enough time.

"Thank you," the pale one said, looking over the ingredients. "The door is over there. Be gone with you, filthy half-blood."

I slowly made my way to the entrance, motioning to my friends that I was grabbing our weapons. They looked worried, sharing glances with one another, but nodded.

Honestly, this was going to be beyond easy. If they were dumb enough to let me go, I had no doubt I'd be able to kill them just as easily.

Popping out of the cabin floor, I hopped on out the door, a huge smile on my face as I picked up a large stone and chucked it at the cruiser's window. The sound of shattering glass and my victorious laugh covered up the footsteps coming up behind me.

I didn't even realize I wasn't alone until a pair of arms wrapped around me. A hand covered my mouth and dragged me backwards towards a black van. My last thoughts as the door slammed shut behind me were that I was glad I told the Amphisaena to cook the poison for three hours.

* * *

I think I was really starting to annoy my captors with my outraged screams and flailing legs. I don't know what made me think that: the glares I was receiving through the rearview mirror, or the few choice words they had to say.

"I'm serious!" the woman in the passenger seat hissed. "If you don't shut up and sit still, I'm going to come back there and knock you out!"

"Well come on then!" I yelled back, attempting to land a kick on her face. As far as I could tell, the two who had napped me were human. They didn't transform, or have any defining features that made them monsters. So I felt pretty confident saying "I dare you to come back here and _try._"

"It was actually easier than I thought," the driver said, smirking mockingly. "I thought nabbing a tough demigod like yourself was going to be hard to swing, but this has to have been the easiest op of my career. After all that stuff that kid Luke was warning us about, I thought you might actually be a challenge."

At the mention of my enemy's name, my blood ran hot, and I gave an especially hard kick to his head rest. I should have known this was Luke's doing. These guys must have been part of that woman's forces. The woman from my dream. I couldn't help but squirm at the thought of her chilled voice. What were these guys? Mortals, I assumed. He had said demigod in a way that didn't include himself. But why were they working with Luke? Who were they?

The woman scrolled through her phone. "Has Kent been picking up your calls?" she asked her partner. "I'm not getting any response from his end."

He shook his head. "Kent was let go."

She nodded in understanding. "He lasted pretty long. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, but he didn't actually _last._"

Their complete and utter indifference to their college getting 'let go' is probably what bothered me the most about them.

"So who are you guys?" I asked.

"If I were you, kiddo, I wouldn't waste time asking stupid questions." The woman adjusted her seat. "I would think that Gallagher education of yours would have taught you that."

The worst part was how true that statement was. "Okay, then what is up with Luke? Why are you working for him?"

The woman nodded. "Better. Thing is, sweetheart, we don't work for Luke. Our boss has some sort of deal with him. Don't bother asking what, because we don't know."

"What do you plan on doing with me exactly?"

They shrugged. "Don't know, kid. It's up to the boss."

"And who is she?"

The woman cocked her head at me, catching on to something. "Why do you think our boss is a she?"

Just then, a curse word went flying out the driver's mouth and he slammed on the breaks. My head went flying into the back of his seat, and I saw stars.

As my vision cleared, I looked through the windshield to see what made these soulless killers stop dead in their tracks. And I understood why. A man stood in the middle of the road, his stance tall and ready. In his arms he held an AK-47, locked and loaded, pointed straight at our car.

"Is that who I think it is?" the woman asked in a stiff tone to her partner.

"Without a doubt," the man said, raising his hands up off the stirring wheel to signal his surrender. "He's here for the girl."

"You hear that kid? You're popular."

Goodie. Just what I wanted: to be popular with a gun wielding freak who likes to stand in the middle of the road and scare the crap out of kidnappers. We'll be the best of friends.

"What's the plan?"

"Do not let him get his hands on her," the driver said. "We let that happen, and we'll wish we're dead."

I didn't get it. He was one guy. And yeah, sure, he was holding a gun, but these guys seemed like the type to just keep driving and run over anyone in their way. The fact that they stopped for him scared the daylights out of me.

As he stalked closer, I didn't find myself recognizing him. He was a stranger to me. Tall, muscular, and very handsome, and for a moment, I thought maybe he was a god. Posed with the stealth and power of someone to be feared. These two definitely did. But gods don't really have any needs for a gun. And I think they'd have a bit more flair to their entrance.

The driver's side door opened, and the barrel of a gun poked inside. "Get out of the car," a voice demanded. It was strong, absolute, made of liquid steel. "You and you. _NOW. _Come to this side of the car, or I shoot."

Slowly both my captors exited the SUV. I stayed exactly where I was, perfectly still, afraid one wrong move would get me shot. The two lined up against the car, and I prepared myself to watch them get executed. Instead, the man knocked them both out with the butt of his gun, checking both of them to make sure they were unconscious. The back door slid open, and he held out a hand to help me slid out. Hesitantly, I reached out, placing my bound hands in his. He helped me slid out of the tall van, keeping me steady on my feet. His fingers unknotted the ties on my hands, and I rubbed my sore wrists. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad. I mean, all he'd done so far was rescue me from a pair of Luke's minions.

"Uh, thanks," I said, smiling awkwardly up at him. "For saving me, I guess."

The nose of the gun pointed straight at my face, and I rethought my earlier deductions.

"I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to you that I want something in return," he said coolly. His hold on the gun was steady.

I shrugged cautiously. "No, I guess not," I muttered nervously. "What do you want?"

"Information," he said. "Information on Mathew Morgan."

Now that really sent a jolt through me. "Mathew Morgan?" I asked in disbelief. "Why do you think I'd know anything about him?"

"You were the last person to see him before he went missing," he said, and I thought I heard a tint of anger. "The very last person."

I shook my head. "That doesn't mean I know anything about his disappearance," I insisted.

"It speaks volumes, Miss Morgan."

He was using my cover name. That means he doesn't know who I really am. So this wasn't about my being a demigod, or Luke. This was simply the spy half of my life catching up to me.

"It seriously doesn't," I insisted. "Look, maybe I was there when he was last seen, but that was just a coincidence, I swear. Whatever you think happened didn't. Matt didn't tell me where he was going or why he was there. All I know was he was preforming a drop, and I almost got in the way. That's all."

The man shook his head. "No. It can't be. You exchanged words. He spoke to you. What did he say?"

"He was just explaining who he was and how he knew me," I said, my voice wavering a bit. "I don't know anything about why he disappeared."

"I mean it, girl. If you don't tell me everything you know, I will _make _you talk."

"I. Don't. _Know!_" I shook my head in desperation. I took a calming breath, not wanting to loose myself in front of him. Looking back up, I asked as calmly as possible, "What do you want with him?"

"I want to find him."

"Yeah, I get that. But then what?"

He seemed almost impressed with me then. "How about you answer my question first?"

Mathew was a spy, and he knew who I really was. So did those people lying on the ground. Could the same thing have happened to Mathew? He knew, and someone wanted to get to me, so they went through him? He may have been playing on a different side as these guys, but people generally think alike.

If that was what happened, I wasn't giving this guy anything. Matt had kept my secret. He'd been kind to me. I didn't know who this man was or what he wanted with Matt, but I was not going to be the reason he found him. Nope, this guy was dead out of luck.

"I don't know what happened," I said coolly, becoming angry with him. "And even if I did, I would not _ever _tell you. So you might as well let me go now."

He shook his head. "You're not calling the shots, kid. I want to know what happened to Mathew Morgan, and you are my best lead. You tell me what I want to know, and you can go free."

"Not happening."

A sound made both of our focuses shift. One of the knocked out agents started to wiggle, causing the man to turn more fully towards them. It gave me a wide opening to round house kick him in the back.

The force of my kick, coupled with his shock at me getting the drop on him, caused him to hit the ground full force. He was disoriented long enough for me to hop in the driver's seat of the van and lock the doors behind me. Thankfully the driver had left the keys in the car.

The gunman had just gotten to his feet when I circled around him, and drove in the other direction. I saw his angry red face through the corner of my eye as I nearly ran him over. The sound of gunfire behind me caused me to scream, and duck down low. He didn't end up hitting the car, and I didn't want to push my luck, so I pushed the vehicle to its absolute limit getting out of there.

Never in a million years did I think my next big problem would be mortals.

* * *

The whole dilemma only took me about an hour, so I figured I still had time to rescue my friends. My friends who were probably not very pleased with me. My friends who were probably going to make me wish those kidnappers had succeeded. I almost started to rethink saving them. Maybe I was better off leaving them to their own devices?

Well I knew that would never happen, so I grabbed our weapons from the police cruiser and made my way back down into the lair. Who knows, maybe they all became friends when I was gone and were having tea? Highly doubtful, but stranger things have happened.

My footsteps were nearly silent as I made my way slowly into the main room. The Amphisaena's shadow stretched threw the doorway of one of the other rooms. I heard the excited giggling of the pale end. I am _nothing _like that, Josh.

Speaking of my adorably dimplely friend, he didn't seem to be doing so hot. Neither did my annoyingly tone-deaf friend. Roe and Josh hadn't moved since I left, but they were far from good looking. Both looked like they had run a marathon with backpacks filled with cement bricks on their backs. Neither was aware as I come up on them.

I grabbed Roe's face in my hands, gently slapping her burning skin. "Roe? _Roe! _Come on, look at me." Getting no reaction from her, I moved to Josh. "Josh? Josh, _wake up!_"

"Mommy, I'm awake," he slurred, drooling on my hand. "Why are you in my room?"

"Because, Josh," I hissed, wiping off my hand. "I'm not your mommy. I'm _Cammie. _Remember? Cam. I'm you friend."

"The cute one?"

_Awww._

_Cammie, no! _

"How about you snap out of it and tell me," I said, taking my sword and cutting him loose. I had to quickly catch his full weight as he came tumbling down. Gently, I sat him down on the floor, resting him up against the wall.

"I told them to cook it for _three _hours, not one." I shook my head, working on releasing Roe. "What is the point of getting a recipe if you're not going to even follow it?"

With both my friends freed, and drooling all over themselves, not able to move an inch, I started the painful job of dragging them to the ladder, all while dreading the inevitable task of somehow getting these nearly comatose bodies _up _the ladder.

I sighed softly to myself, looking over my shoulder for the double headed monster. They were still slithering around in the other room. I knew I could carry both up at the same time, and I couldn't leave one behind while I took the other. Not while that thing was still here.

The only way I could guarantee safety at this point would be to get rid of the monster.

I came across the table we had stood at before. Knives and daggers still scattered the surface, along with jars of questionable substances. I studied the jars, sniffing, and reading labels. If I mixed a few of these liquids together, I could make a reversing agent for my friends' wobbly behaviors. It would only work so far, but it would at least give them some of their basic motor functions back. A few of the other jars were filled with extremely poisonous fluids.

I combined this and that, keeping an ever watchful eye on the door. So far the Amphisaena didn't know I had returned. I had a few of Roe's arrows standing tip down in toxic ooze. I tried to keep the clacking of jars and stir sticks to a minimum as I finished my concoction.

I forced both my friends to down half the brew, watching as they slowly started to wiggle their fingers. Satisfied it was working, I returned to the table to retrieve the arrows.

It seemed frankly…evil, what I was about to do. I was simply about to execute this creature. That seemed a little dark to me. Sure, it wasn't exactly saintly. It was going to kill my friends and me just to eat. It was a monster. But I was the one stalking the pray now. It was just standing there, unexcitingly.

I looked down at the arrow already cocked and ready. There was still poison dripping off its tip. I was faced with the moral dilemma of whether it was wrong to kill a monster who didn't know it was in danger of being killed.

On one hand, it was dumb enough to let me go. It set up its own death. But on the other hand, did my hunting them down make me a monster as well?

I looked back at my friends, and tried to imagine what they'd think of what I was about to do.

But then I _looked _at them, struggling to move, ready to be some monster's meal. And it made things a little easier.

If I didn't kill this thing, more demigods could die just like this. Yes, maybe we'd get away. We'd run off, laughing about how close a call that was and be on our marry way. The next people to run through here might not be so lucky. They might be killed then devoured without a chance at escape.

This monster might show a slightly human side talking about how it didn't do what it did to cause it's pray pain, but it was still a monster, and it was still killing.

I came to this conclusion as I rounded the door frame, standing in the entryway. The Amphisaena's heads snapped to look at me, and both ends hissed.

"You _lied!_" the dark end hissed. "You said you'd leave!"

"Why did you lie to us?" the pale one said, looking hurt.

"You really should have stuck to your diet of ants," I said, pulling the arrow back. "Don't you know demigods make you fatty?"

I let arrow number one fly, hitting the pale on right in the middle of his forehead. I didn't even hesitate to grab the second arrow as the other half cried out for his brother. I shot him right in his back before I could stop myself, watching as he stiffened, and his strength started seeping out of his body.

Replacing the bow with my sword, I walked up to the two headed monster. Both ends were still, but I was prepared anyway. If the poison didn't do it, then I'd have to finish the job. I crept forward, watching for any signs of movement.

It seemed like hours had passed by the time I got there. There was no sound, no anything.

But then, there was something, and the only warning I got was the fluttering of what I suspected was the things heart before the dark end reared up and lunged for me.

Rolling to the side, the thing got a mouthful of dirt. I sat up in a crouched position right in front of where the two ends melded together. The pale half was starting to shake off the effects, glaring at me from its position on the floor. The dark end spat out the dirt, rocks and mud falling from his lips.

Raising my blade, I swung down with a cry, slicing the two brothers apart.

The malice in the air was gone in a second as both gasped in horror.

"Brother!" the pale end cried, gripping his now bloody stump. "Brother we're apart!"

"No, no, no, no!" the dark end yelled. "Brother, no!"

I stood, backing away, both a bit freaked out, and guilty.

As I exited the door, wanting to take this opportunity to really get out, the halves started to slowly dissolve, falling away to golden dust that all monsters turned into in death.

My friends were sitting up on their own now, shaking their heads to clear their vision.

"Cam?" Josh asked, blinking hard. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, the cute one," I muttered to myself, giving him a hand up. He still was having a hard time standing, but he managed. "Are you going to be able to climb?"

He thought about it for a second, but nodded. "Yeah, just be read to catch me if I fall."

"Don't fall until I'm able to see it properly," Roe said, refusing to let me help her up. "I wouldn't want to miss that." She slapped my hands away. "Stop that, that poison didn't even faze me."

_Yeah, sure._

It took ages getting both of them up the ladder. So long, in fact, I was sure the Amphisaena had already reformed.

I stirred them towards the van (figuring driving a police cruiser around would not be a good idea). Josh prepared to take the driver's seat, but I pushed him to the back. "No way am I surviving another attack only to die in a car crash. I'll drive."

"Yeah, about that attack," Roe said grumpily, taking shotgun. "Thanks for sticking around you jerk! You totally bailed on us! After giving them the family recipe for poison!"

"I was going up to get something to kill them with. And the stuff was only supposed to leave you dazed," I said, starting up the van.

"Rest assured it does," Josh grumbled in the back, gagging.

"It shouldn't have taken you an _hour,_" Roe grumbled.

I sighed, glancing around, as though I might find that man again. "Yeah, something happened guys. Something really not good."

I told them the story of the agents working for Luke who kidnapped me, and that gunman who wanted information on Matt.

"That's crazy," Roe said, rubbing her eyes. "I almost feel like you just made that up as an excuse."

"Roe, where do you think this van came from?"

Both of them for the first time seemed to realize they had no clue what they were riding in or where it came from. Wow, that stuff really must have hit them hard.

"Yeah, well, you're going to be the top spy one day, so I wouldn't put it passed you to have set it all up," Roe said, covering her slip up.

Still, I was touched. "You really think I'm going to be the top spy one day?"

"Hey, hey! You left us down there alone with a monster for an _hour! _You are not allowed to feel complimented."

I laughed, backing up from the cabin. But deep down inside of me something churned uncomfortably. That man was still out there. And he wanted Matt. And me. So did those agents. As we drove away, I tried focusing on Josh and Roe's bickering instead of the man who would no doubt pop back into my life at some point.

* * *

**So I'm much later than usual, but this time it was by choice. I had the chapter done in by the time I was supposed to update, but reading it over I found myself really disappointed in the content. I had four days of finals, and graduation parties, and my birthday, and I felt myself muddling through writing this. So the outcome was so horrible and there were so many plot holes that needed filling, that I decided to take a few days off to catch up on sleep, and just get back into the swing of writing. Because if there is one thing I will not do to you guys, it's give you a chapter I myself think is crap. And updates may be off for a while. But it will be done, and I will not give up on this series, so rest assured that you will get your chapters. If I take a long break, I will be sure to let you guys know, but I don't think it'll come to that. Thanks for sticking with me, guys. **

**On a different note, who do you guys think that man was? I feel it's sort of obvious, but maybe not. I'd be curious to see what you guys think.**

**Thanks for reading, nerdletts!**


	19. Chapter 13-Part Two

WE VISIT THE JUNKYARD OF THE GODS

* * *

**(Percy's pov.)**

* * *

We rode the boar until sunset, which was about as much as my back end could take. Imagine riding a giant steel brush over a bed of gravel all day. That was about how comfortable boar-riding was.

I have no idea how many miles we covered, but the mountains faded into the distance and were replaced by miles of flat, dry land. The grass and scrub brush got sparser until we were galloping (do boars gallop?) across the desert.

As night fell, the boar came to a stop at a creek bed and snorted. He started drinking the muddy water, then ripped a saguaro cactus out of the ground and chewed it, needles and all.

This is as far as he'll go," Grover said. "We need to get off while he's eating."

Nobody needed convincing. We slipped off the boar's back while he was busy ripping up cacti. Then we waddled away as best we could with our saddle sores.

After its third saguaro and another drink of muddy water, the boar squealed and belched, then whirled around and galloped back toward the east.

"It likes the mountains better," I guessed.

"I can't blame it," Thalia said. "Look."

Ahead of us was a two-lane road half covered with sand. On the other side of the road was a cluster of buildings too small to be a town: a boarded up house, a taco shop that looked like it hadn't been open since before Zoe Nightshade was born, and a white stucco post office with a sign that said GILA CLAW, ARIZONA hanging crooked above the door. Beyond that was a range of hills…but then I noticed they weren't regular hills. The country side was way too flat for that. The hills were enormous mounds of old cars, appliances, and other scrap metal. It was a junkyard that seemed to go on forever.

"Whoa," I said.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," Thalia said. She looked at Grover. "I don't suppose you have another wild boar up your sleeve."

Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes. They rearranged themselves into a pattern that made no sense to me, but Grover looked concerned.

"That's us," he said. "Those nuts right there."

"Which one is me?" I asked.

"The small deformed one?" Zoe suggested.

"Oh, shut up."

"That cluster right there," Grover said, pointing to the left, "is trouble."

"A monster?" Thalia asked.

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie. Our next challenge…"

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet.

* * *

We decided to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. None of us wanted to go dumpster diving in the dark.

Zoe and Bianca produced five sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of their backpacks. I don't know how they did it, because the packs were tiny, but must've been enchanted to hold so much stuff. I'd noticed their bows and quivers were also magic. I never really thought about it, but when the Hunters needed them, they just appeared slung over their backs. And when they didn't, they were gone.

The night got chilly fast, so Grover and I collected old boards from the ruined house, and Thalia zapped them with an electric shock to start a campfire. Pretty soon we were about as comfy as you can get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"The stars are out," Zoe said.

She was right. There were millions of them, with no city lights to turn the sky orange.

"Amazing," Bianca said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

"This is nothing," Zoe said. "In the old days, there were more. While constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"You talk like you're not human," I said.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?"

"For _you,_" Thalia corrected. "Not _thee._"

"But you use _you _for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No _thou. _No _thee. _Just _you._"

Zoe threw her hands up in exasperation. "I _hate _this language. It changes too often!"

Grover sighed. He was still looking up at the stars like he was thinking about the light pollution problem. "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Zoe nodded sadly.

"Maybe it was the coffee," Grover said. "I was drinking coffee, and the wind came. Maybe if I drank more coffee…"

I was pretty sure coffee had nothing to do with what had happened in Cloudcroft, but I didn't have the heart to tell Grover. I thought about the rubber rat and the tiny birds that had suddenly came alive when the wind blew. "Grover, do you really believe that was Pan? I mean, I know you _want _it to be."

"He sent us help," Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why. but it was his presence. After this quest is done, I'm going back to New Mexico and drinking a lot of coffee. It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was _so close."_

I didn't answer. I didn't want to squash Grover's hopes.

"What I want to know," Thalia said, looking at Bianca, "is how you destroyed one of those zombies. There are a lot more out there somewhere. We need to figure out how to fight them."

Bianca shook her head. "I don't know. I just stabbed it and it went up in flames."

"Maybe there's something special about your knife," I said.

"It is the same as mine," Zoe said. "Celestial bronze, yes. But mine did not affect the warriors that way."

"Maybe you have to hit the skeleton in a certain spot," I said.

Bianca looked uncomfortable with everybody paying attention to her.

"Never mind," Zoe told her. "We will find the answer. In the meantime, we should plan our next move. When we get through this junkyard, we must continue west. If we can find a road, we can hitchhike to the nearest city. I think that would be Las Vegas."

I was about to protest that Grover and I had had bad experiences in that town, but Bianca beat us to it.

"No!" she said. "Not there!"

She looked really freaked out, like she'd just been dropped off the steep end of a roller coaster.

Zoe frowned. "Why?"

Bianca took a shaky breath. "I…I think we stayed there for a while. Nico and I. When we were traveling. And then, I can't remember…"

Suddenly I had a really bad thought. I remembered what Bianca had told me about Nico and her staying in a hotel for a while. I met Grover's eyes, and I got the feeling he was thinking the same thing.

"Bianca," I said. "That hotel you stayed at. Was it possibly called the Lotus Hotel and Casino?"

Her eyes widened. "How could you know that?"

"Oh great," I said.

"Wait," Thalia said. "What is the Lotus Casino?"

"A couple of years ago," I said, "Cammie, Grover, Annabeth, and I got trapped there. It's designed so you never want to leave. We stayed for about an hour. When we came out, five days had passed. It makes time speed up."

"No," Bianca said. "No, that's not possible."

"You said somebody came and got you out," I remembered.

"Yes."

"What did he look like? What did he say?"

"I…I don't remember. Please, I really don't want to talk about this."

Zoe sat forward, her eyebrows knit with concern. "You said that Washington, D.C., had changed when you went back last summer. You didn't remember the subway being there."

"Yes, but—"

"Bianca," Zoe said, "can you tell me the name of the president of the United States right now?"

"Don't be silly," Bianca said. She told us the correct name of the president.

"And who was president before that?" Zoe asked.

Bianca thought for a while. "Roosevelt."

Zoe swallowed. "Theodore or Franklin?"

"Franklin," Bianca said. "F.D.R."

"Like FDR Drive?" I asked. Because seriously, that's about all I knew about F.D.R.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "F.D.R. was not that last president. That was about seventy years ago."

"That's impossible," Bianca said. "I…I'm not that old."

She stared at her hands as if to make sure they weren't wrinkled.

Thalia's eyes turned sad. I guess she knew what it was like to get pulled out of time for a while. "It's okay, Bianca. The important thing is you and Nico are safe. You made it out."

"But how?" I said. "We were only in there for an hour and we barely escaped. How could you have escaped after being in there for so long?"

"I told you," Bianca looked about ready to cry. "A man came and said it was time to leave. And—"

"But who? Why did he do it?"

Before she could answer, we were hit with a blazing light from down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere. I was half hoping it was Apollo, come to give us a ride again, but the engine was way to silent from the sun chariot, and besides, it was nighttime. We grabbed our sleeping bags and got out of the way as a deathly white limousine slid to a stop in front of us.

* * *

The back door of the limo opened right next to me. before I could step away, the point of a sword touched my throat.

I heard the sound of Zoe and Bianca drawing their bows. As the owner of the sword got out of the car, I moved back very slowly. I had to, because he was pushing the point under my chin.

He smiled cruelly. "Not so fast without a second pair of eyes now, are you, punk?"

He was a big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and combat boots. Wraparound shades hit his eyes, but I knew what was behind those glasses—hollow sockets filled with flames.

"Ares," I growled.

The war god glanced at my friends. "At ease, people."

He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under my chin. "Of course I'd _like _to take your head for a trophy—maybe _twin _trophies, if you catch my meaning—but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back."

He lowered his sword and pushed me away.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" she asked. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not _them._" He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?"

"Go on," I told my friend. "I'll handle this."

I tried to sound more confident than I felt. I don't think Ares was fooled.

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control."

My friends reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant. Ares regarded me with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur.

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

* * *

When I saw her, my jaw dropped.

I forgot my names. I forgot where I was. I forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful I'd ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would've lit up the dark side of the moon.

Thinking back on it, I can't tell you who she looked like. Or even what color her hair or her eyes were. Pick the most beautiful actress you can think of. The goddess was ten times more beautiful than that. Pick your favorite hair color, eye color, whatever. The goddess had that.

When she smiled at me, just for a moment she looked a little like Annabeth. Then like this TV actress I used to have a crush on in fifth grade. Then…well, you get the idea.

"Ah, there you are, Percy," the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite."

I slipped into the seat across from her and said something like, "Um uh gah."

She smiled. "Aren't you sweet. Hold this, please.'

She handed me a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and hand me hole it up for her. She leaned forward and dabbed at her lipstick, though I couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked.

I wanted to respond. Why couldn't I form a complete sentence? She was only a lady. A seriously beautiful lady. With eyes like pools of spring water…Whoa.

I pinched my own arm, hard.

"I…I don't know," I managed.

"Oh, dear," Aphrodite said. "Still in denial?"

Outside the car, I could hear Ares chuckling. I had a feeling he could hear every word we said. The idea of him being out there made me angry, and that helped clear my mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

"Well then, why are you on this quest?"

"Well, Artemis has been captured! And my friend Annabeth and my sister have gone missing. I want to find them."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. _Please. _Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should be breathtakingly beautiful, don't you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!" She took a deep sigh, and her eyes softened a bit. "But at least your heart is in right place."

"She was chasing a monster," I said. "A really, really bad monster. We have to find it."

Aphrodite made me hold the mirror up a little higher. She seemed to have found a microscopic problem at the corner of her eye and dabbed at her mascara. "Not the place I'm talking about, Percy. There is always a monster. There will _always _be a monster. That's why those others are here on this quest. But you, you're here for a different reason. I'm more interested in you."

My heart pounded. I didn't want to answer, but her eyes drew an answer right out of my mouth. "Annabeth is in trouble."

Aphrodite beamed. "Exactly!"

"And, I mean, so is Cammie, and I have to help them," I said, suddenly remembering I had a sister after momentarily forgetting, and scolding myself for it. "I've been having these dreams."

"Ah, you even dream about her! That's so _cute!_"

"No! I mean…that's not what I meant."

She made a _tsk-tsk _sound. "Percy, I'm on your side. I'm the reason you're here, after all."

I stared at her. "What?"

"The poisoned T-shirt the Stoll brothers gave Phoebe," I said. "Did you think that was an accident?"

"_You _did that?

"Of course! Because really, how boring these Hunters are! A quest for some monster, blah blah blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say. But a quest for true love—"

"Wait a second. I never said—"

"Oh, my dear. You don't need to say it. You _do _know Annabeth was close to joining the Hunters, don't you?"

I blushed. "I wasn't sure—"

"She was about to throw her life away! And you, my dear, you can save her from that. It's so romantic!"

"Uh…"

"Oh, put the mirror down," Aphrodite ordered. "I look amazing."

I hadn't realized I was still holding it, but as soon as I put it down, I noticed my arms were sore.

"Now listen, Percy," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies. Forget them and Artemis and the monster. That's not important. You just concentrate on finding and saving Annabeth."

"Do you know where she is?"

Aphrodite waved her hand irritable. "No, no. I leave the details to you. But it's been ages since we've had a good tragic love story. And now I'm going to have two in the next decade! You Jackson twins sure are a magnet for both trouble and romance."

Suddenly, the goddess's love mojo seemed to fall a little flat. "Please tell me you're not saying my sister falls in love with some guy."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "This is what I was worried about. Please, Percy, don't ruin her love story with your over protective antics. She'll resent your for it, I'm absolutely sure of it. Not to mention you'll destroy a perfectly romantic tale. Brothers. They always have to stick their noses into places they don't belong." The goddess leaned forward and looked me straight in the eye. "Keep your focus on Annabeth. Don't worry about Cammie. I put a little charm on her friend Josh so he would run to her aid. She's in good hands."

Instead of putting me at ease, her words set me ablaze. "Are you playing with my sister's heart?"

Aphrodite waved a dismissive hand. "Only a little. Don't worry, Josh's feelings are true, they just needed a push. And it's not going to last very long. They just aren't made for each other. They'll figure it out soon enough, or maybe that Roe will realize she sort of likes him too, and drive them apart. _OOOOH, _wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake. A broken heart that makes it hard for her to fully give herself to him."

I held up a finger. "No. No it would not. And who is _him?_"

She wasn't listening though. "Oh, it will be _perfect! _A failed relationship, just before she meets him. And she won't know it, but she'll fall deep in love with him, even with all his secrets. And he's just so _dangerous—"_

"WHO!" I demanded.

Aphrodite shook herself out of her trance. "Never mind that now. Don't pay them any mind. Just focus on your love story. You need to follow your heart."

It was very confusing, and made me slightly panicky, but I felt myself being pulled under her spell again. "But…I don't know where it's going. My heart, I mean."

She smiled sympathetically. She really was beautiful. And not just because she had a pretty face or anything. She believed in love so much, it was impossible not to feel giddy when she talked about it.

"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh, you kids! It's so cute I'm going to cry!"

"No, no," I said. "Don't do that."

"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for either of you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Betrayal. Secrets. Oh, you just wait."

"That's really okay," I told her. "Don't go to any trouble."

"You're _so _cute. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as nice as you." Aphrodite looked thoughtful. "Maybe my Dee Dee could do just that to that Josh boy…hum…" She focused on me again. "Now, you'd better go. And do be careful in my husband's territory, Percy. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."

"What?" I asked. "You mean Hephaestus?'

But the car door opened and Ares grabbed my shoulder, pulled me out of the car and back into the desert night.

My audience with the goddess of love was over.

* * *

"You're lucky, punk." Ares pushed me away from the limo. "Be grateful."

"For what?'

"That we decided to be so nice. If it was up to me—"

"So why haven't you killed me?" I shot back. It was a stupid thing to say to the god of war, but being around him always made me feel angry and reckless.

Ares nodded, like I'd finally said something intelligent.

"I'd love to kill you, and your sister, seriously," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you two might start the biggest war in history. I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're both some kind of soap-opera stars or something. I kill you, that makes me look bad with her. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my promise. Some day soon, kid—_real _soon—you're going to raise your sword to fight, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."

I balled my fist. "Why wait? I beat you once. How's that ankle healing up?"

He grinned crookedly. "Don't get too cocky, kid. You had help last time. And you have nothing on the master of taunts. I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready. Until then…get lost."

He snapped his fingers and the world did a three-sixty, spinning in a cloud of red dust. I fell to the ground.

When I stood up again, the limousine was gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone. My friends and I were standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.

* * *

"What did she _want _with you?" Bianca asked, once I'd told them about Aphrodite.

"I can _not _let Cammie get a boyfriend," I muttered to myself. "I can't let her date anyone. No one. She can't be around anymore boys."

"It's okay," Grover assured Zoe at her mildly concerned look. "This isn't a new development."

"It is, though!" I shouted, pointing at him. "Before it was just a want, now it is a _must!_"

"Nope, not new," Thalia sighed.

"How do I make it so she'll never meet any boys? She goes to an all girls' school, she hardly meets any as it is. But she's _surrounded _by them at camp…"

"She could always join the hunters," Zoe suggested, shrugging.

I was about to argue when I paused. "Is it bad that I'm so desperate I'm sort of considering that?"

"Percy!" Thalia hissed. "Let Cammie make her own choices. Anyway, you know you wouldn't like her becoming a hunter."

I weighed the pros and cons. "Okay, okay, fine. I understand." _Doesn't mean I have to like it._

"Good. Now," Thalia said, "what did Aphrodite have to say?"

"Oh…uh, not really sure," I lied. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to pick anything up."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

"It's not like I'm disagreeing," I muttered, thinking about what she did to Josh. I may not like the fact that he's now following my sister around like some love sick puppy who might just tear her heart apart like a bacon flavored chew toy, but I guess it's hardly his fault. I was simply in the love goddess's presence and look what she could do to me. I'd hate to see her when she's trying.

Grover was looking at me funny. Being empathic and all, he could usually read my emotions, and I got the feeling he knew exactly what Aphrodite had talked to me about.

"So," I said, anxious to change the subject and forget about my sister dating boys, "how do we get out of here?"

"That way," Zoe said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?"

In the light of the full moon, I was surprised how well I could see her roll her eyes at me. "Ursa Major is in the north," she said. "which means _that _must be west."

"Oh, yeah," I said. "The bear thing."

Zoe looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real."

"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!"

We'd reached the crest of the junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Bianca said. "That stuff…some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It was broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this junk?"

He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"

Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

"I am too! Here, take a bite."

"Look!" Bianca said. She raced down the hill, tripping over bronze coils and golden plates. She picked up a bow that glowed silver in the moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!"

She yelped in surprise as the bow began to shrink, and became a hair clip shaped like a crescent moon. "It's just like Percy's sword!"

Zoe looked grim. "Leave it, Bianca."

"But—"

"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective. Or cursed."

Bianca reluctantly set the hair clip down.

"I don't like this place," Thalia said. She gripped the shaft of her spear.

"You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" I asked.

She gave me a hard look. "Zoe is right, Percy. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on. Let's get across the yard.

"That's the second time you've agreed with Zoe," I muttered, but Thalia ignored me.

We started picking our way through the hills and valleys of junk. The stuff seemed to go on forever, and if it hadn't been for Ursa major, we would've gotten lost. All of the hills pretty much looked the same.

I'd like to say we left the stuff alone, but there was too much cool junk not to check out some of it. I found an electric guitar shaped like Apollo's lyre that was so sweet I had to pick it up. Grover found a broken tree made out of metal. It had been chopped to pieces, but some of the branches still had golden birds in them, and they whirred around when Grover picked them up, trying to flap their wings.

Finally, we saw the edge of the junkyard about half a mile ahead of us, the lights of the highway stretching through the desert. But between us and the road…

"What is that?" Bianca gasped.

Ahead of us was a hill much bigger and longer than the others. It was like a metal mesa, the length of a football field and as tall as goalposts. At one end of the mesa was a row of ten thick metal columns, wedged tightly together.

Bianca frowned. "They look like—"

"Toes," Grover said.

Bianca nodded. "Really, really large toes."

Zoe and Thalia exchanged nervous looks.

"Let's go around," Thalia said. "_Far _around."

"But the road is right there," I protested. "Quicker to climb over."

_Ping_

Thalia hefted her spear and Zoe drew her bow, but then I realized it was only Grover. He had thrown a piece of scrap metal at the toes and hit on, making a deep echo , as if the column were hollow.

"Why did you do that?" Zoe demanded.

Grover cringed. "I don't know. I, uh, don't like fake feet?"

"You wear fake feet," I pointed out.

"Come on." Thalia looked at me. "Around."

I didn't argue. The toes were starting to freak me out, too. I mean, who sculpts ten-foot-tall metal toes and sticks them in a junkyard?

After several minutes of walking, we finally stepped onto the highway, an abandoned but well-lit stretch of black asphalt.

"We made it out," Zoe said. "Thank the gods."

But apparently the gods didn't want to be thanked. At that moment, I heard a sound like a thousand trash compactors crushing metal.

I whirled around. Behind us, the scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The ten toes tilted over, and I realized why they looked like toes. They _were _toes. The thing that rose up from the metal was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor. He was impossibly tall—a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. He looked down at us, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

"Talos!" Zoe gasped.

"Who-who's Talos?" I stuttered.

"One of Hephaestus's creations," Thalia said. "But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model."

The metal giant didn't like the word _defective._

He moved one hand to his sword belt and drew his weapon. The sound of it coming out of its sheath was horrible, metal screeching against metal. The blade was a hundred feet long, easy. It looked rusty and dull, but I didn't figure that mattered. Getting hit with that thing would be like getting hit with a battleship.

"Somebody took something," Zoe said. "Who took something?"

She stared accusingly at me.

I shook my head. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Bianca didn't say anything. I could swear she looked guilty, but I didn't have much time to think about it, because the giant defective Talos took one step toward us, closing half the distance and making the ground shake.

"Run!" Grover yelped.

Great advice, except that it was hopeless. At a leisurely stroll, this thing could outdistance us easily.

We split up, the way we'd done with the Nemean Lion. Thalia drew her shield and held it up as she ran down the highway. The giant swung his sword and took out a row of power lines, which exploded in sparks and scattered across Thalia's path.

Zoe's arrows whistled toward the creature's face, but shattered harmlessly against the metal. Grover brayed like a baby goat and went climbing up a mountain of metal.

Bianca and I ended up next to each other, hiding behind a broken chariot.

"You took something," I said. "That bow."

"No!" she said, but her voice was quivering.

"Give it back!" I said. "Throw it down!"

"I…I didn't take the bow! Besides, it's too late."

"What did you take?"

Before she could answer, I heard a massive creaking noise, and a shadow blotted out of the sky.

"Move!" I tore down the hill, Bianca right behind me, as the giant's foot smashed a crater in the ground where we'd been hiding.

"Hey, Talos!" Grover yelled, but the monster raised his sword, looking down at Bianca and me.

Grover played a quick melody on his pipes. Over at the highway, the downed power lines began to dance. I understood what Grover was going to do a split second before it happened. One of the poles with power lines still attached flew toward Talos's back leg and wrapped around his calf. The lines sparked and sent a jolt of electricity up the giant's backside.

Talos whirled around, creaking and sparking. Grover had bought us a few seconds.

"Come on!" I told Bianca. But she stayed frozen. From her pocket, she brought out a small metal figurine, a statue of a god. "It…it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."

"How can you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" I asked.

There were tears in her eyes.

"Throw it down," I said. "Maybe the giant will leave us alone."

She dropped it reluctantly, but nothing happened.

The giant kept coming after Grover. It stabbed its sword into a junk hill, missing Grover by a few feet, but scrap metal made an avalanche over him, and then I couldn't see him anymore.

"No!" Thalia yelled. She pointed her spear, and a blue arc of lighting shot out, hitting the monster in his rusty knee, which buckled. The giant collapsed, but immediately got back up. It was hard to tell if it could feel anything. There weren't any emotions in its half-melted face, but I got the sense that it was about as ticked off as a twenty-story-tall metal warrior could be.

He raised his foot to stomp and I saw that his sole was treaded like the bottom of a sneaker. There was a hole in his heel, like a large manhole and there were red words painted around it, which I deciphered only after the foot came down: FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY.

"Crazy idea time," I said.

Bianca looked at me nervously. "Anything."

I told her about the maintenance hatch. "There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something. I'm going to get inside."

"How? You'll have to stand under its foot! You'll be crushed."

"Distract it," I said. "I'll just have to time it right."

Bianca's jaw tightened. "No. I'll go."

"You can't. You're new to all this! You'll die."

"It's my fault the monster came after us," she said. "It's my responsibility. Here." She picked up the little god statue and pressed it into my hand. "If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him…tell him I'm sorry."

"Bianca, no!"

But she wasn't waiting for me. She charged at the monster's left foot.

Thalia had its attention for the moment. She'd learned that the giant was big but slow. If you could stay close to it and not get smashed, you could run around it and stay alive. At least, it was working so far.

Bianca got right next to the giant's foot, trying to balance herself on the metal scraps that swayed and shifted with his weight.

Zoe yelled, "What are you going!?"

"Get it to raise its foot!" she said.

Zoe shot an arrow toward the monster's face and it flew straight into one nostril. The giant straightened and shook its head.

"Hey, Junk Boy!" I yelled. "Down here."

I ran up to its big toe and stabbed it with Riptide. The magic blade cut a gash in the bronze.

Unfortunately, my plan worked. Talos looked down at me and raised his foot to squash me like a bug. I didn't see what Bianca was doing. I had to turn and run. The foot came down about two inches behind me and I was knocked into the air. I hit something hard and sat up, dazed. I'd been thrown into an Olympus-Air refrigerator.

The monster was about to finish me off, but Grover somehow dug himself out of the junk pile. He played his pipes frantically, and his music sent another power line pole whacking against Talos's thigh. The monster turned. Grover should've run, but he must've been too exhausted from the effort of so much magic. He took two steps, fell, and didn't get back up.

"Grover!" Thalia and I both ran toward him, but I knew we'd be too late.

The monster raised his sword to smash Grover. Then he froze.

Talos cocked his head to one side, like he was hearing strange new music. He started moving his arms and legs in weird ways, doing the Funky Chicken. Then he made a fist and punched himself in the face.

"Go, Bianca!" I yelled.

Zoe looked horrified. "She is _inside?_"

The monster staggered around, and I realized we were still in danger. Thalia and I grabbed Grover and ran with him toward the highway. Zoe was already ahead of us. She yelled, "How will Bianca get out?"

The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his sword. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered toward the power lines.

"Look out!" I yelled, but it was too late.

The giant's ankle snared the lines, and blue flickers of electricity shot up his body. I hoped the inside was insulated. I had no idea what was going on in there. The giant careened back into the junkyard, and his right hand fell off, landing in the scrap metal with a horrible _CLANG! _

His left arm came loose, too. He was falling apart at the joints.

Talos began to run.

"Wait!" Zoe yelled. We ran after him, but there was no way we could keep up. Pieces of the robot kept falling off, getting in our way.

The giant crumbled from the top down: his head, his chest, and finally his legs collapsed. When we reached the wreckage we searched frantically, yelling Bianca's name. We crawled around in the vast hollow pieces and the legs and the head. We searched until the sun started to rise, but no luck.

Zoe sat down and wept. I was stunned to see her cry.

Thalia yelled in rage and impaled her sword in the giant's smashed face.

"We can keep searching," I said. "It's light now. We'll find her."

"No we won't," Grover said miserably. "It happened just as it was supposed to."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

He looked up at me with big watery eyes. "The prophecy. _One shall be lost in the land without rain."_

Why hadn't I seen it? Why had I let her go instead of me?

Here we were in the desert. And Bianca di Angelo was gone.

* * *

**Soooooo… been a while huh? Real funny story about why I've been gone for so long.**

**It all started on a bright Tuesday afternoon. I knew it was coming, but I didn't realize how _unrelenting _this thing was! Never stopping to rest, never eating, destroying everything in its path. It couldn't be stopped and it couldn't be pleased. Soon enough, I was overpowered by this, this _creature! _It had me under its thumb, and soon, its creator had me taking his other creations around wherever they pleased. All day, several days a week.**

**Basically I got a job babysitting my one year old cousin several days a week, and I driver her two older sisters around to practices and stuff. And it usually turns into an almost all day endeavor, so I don't get a lot of time to sit and write.**

**Also, I made a huge mistake in the last chapter, and seeing as I've been making so many mistakes lately, I decided I needed to just pull back and breathe. (thankfully, that mistake actually works in my favor, seeing as I'm really good at talking my way out of situations like that.)**

**So, yeah, I've been gone for a _really _long time, and I'm insanely sorry about it, but it couldn't be helped. I'm making money, and money buys oreos, and what's life without oreos? Sad and without the world's best cookie's, that's what. **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though! I know they've been sort of disappointing as of late, so I just want to apologize. **

**Anyway, I'm back, and hopefully it won't take me over a month to update again! Love you all, my little nerdletts.**


	20. Chapter 14-Part One

I HAVE A DAM PROBLEM

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

At the edge of the dump, we found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so we decided to borrow it.

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as Zoe or Grover or Me.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded us. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated us through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Grover and I sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wrench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca.

My hand closed around the little figurine that had cost her life. I still couldn't even tell what god it was supposed to be. Nico would know.

Oh, gods…what was I going to tell Nico.

I wanted to believe that Bianca was still alive somewhere. But I had a bad feeling that she was gone for good.

"It should've been me," I said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" Grover panicked. "Cammie needs you."

"And Nico needs Bianca," I snapped. "At least Cammie has you, and Annabeth, and mom…" I chocked. "She has her friends at Gallagher. Nico has no one now."

Grover looked out over the sandy landscape. "Neither of your deaths would have been okay. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you…" He sniffled. "Do you think anyone _else _would be by best friend? With Annabeth and Cammie gone, and then you…"

"Ah, Grover…"

He wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy, like he had on war paint. "I'm…I'm okay."

But he wasn't okay. Ever since the encounter in New Mexico—whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through—he seemed really fragile, even more emotional than usual. I was afraid to talk to him about it because he might start bawling.

At least there's one good thing about having a friend who gets freaked out more than you do. I realized I couldn't stay depressed. I had to set aside thinking about Bianca and keep us going forward, the way Thalia was doing. I wondered what she and Zoe were talking about in the front of the truck.

* * *

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?"

I scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below us.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

I tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. "That's a goat path," I said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think."

I thought about that. I'd done cliffs before, but I didn't like them. Then I looked over at Thalia and saw how pale she'd gotten. Her problem with heights…she'd never be able to do it.

"No," I said. "I, uh, think we should go farther up-stream."

Grover said, "But—"

"Come on," I said. "A walk won't hurt us."

I glanced at Thalia. Her eyes said a quick _Thank you._

We followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but I left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying _IOU two canoes._

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. It was the first time I'd heard her speak since the junkyard, and I was worried about how bad she sounded, like somebody with the flu. "The rapids are two swift."

"Leave that to me," I said. We put the canoes in the water.

Thalia pulled me aside as we were getting the oars. "Thanks for back there."

"Don't mention it."

"Can you really…" She nodded to the rapids. "You know."

"I think so. Usually I'm good with water."

"Would you take Zoe?" she asked. "I think, ah, maybe you can talk to her."

"She's not going to like that."

"Please? I don't know if I can stand being in the same boat with her. She's…she's starting to worry me."

It was about the last thing I wanted to do, but I nodded.

Thalia's shoulder relaxed. "I owe you one."

"Two."

"One and a half," Thalia said.

She smiled. She turned and helped Grover get their canoe into the water.

As it turned out, I didn't even need to control the currents. As soon as we got in the river, I looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at me.

They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

_Hey, _I said.

They made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling. I wasn't sure. I had a hard time understanding naiads.

_We're heading upstream, _I told them. _Do you think you could—_

Before I could even finish, the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing us up the river. We started so fast Grover fell into his canoe with his hooves sticking up in the air.

"I hate Naiads," Zoe grumbled.

A stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit Zoe in the face.

"She-devils!" Zoe went for her bow.

"Whoa!" I said. "They're just playing."

"Cursed water spirits. They've never forgiven me."

"Forgiven you for what?"

She slung her bow back over her shoulder. "It was a long time ago. Never mind."

We sped up the river, the cliffs looming up on either side of us.

"What happened to Bianca wasn't your fault," I told her. "It was my fault. I let her go."

I figured this would give Zoe an excuse to start yelling at me. At least that might shake her out of feeling depressed.

Instead, her shoulders slumped. "No, Percy. I pushed her into going on the quest. I was too anxious. She was a powerful half-blood. She had a kind heart, as well. I…I thought she would be the next lieutenant."

"But you're the lieutenant."

She gripped the strap of her quiver. She looked more tired than I'd ever seen her. "Nothing can last forever, Percy. Over two thousand years I have led the Hunt, and my wisdom has not improved. Now Artemis herself is in danger."

"Look, you can't blame yourself for that."

"If I had insisted on going with her—"

"You think you could've fought something powerful enough to kidnap Artemis? There's nothing you could have done."

She gave be a sideways look. "That is very kind of thee."

I shrugged. "I've had practice. I have a sister who likes to self-loath."

Zoe snorted. "Thy sister is a very interesting character."

I smiled, just imagining what she might have said to Zoe in a fit of rage. "That's probably the nicest way I've ever heard it put. She's really not that bad. Just a bit temperamental. You'd probably get along…maybe. Just catch her on a day she isn't feeling violent."

"She loves you very much."

"And I love her. I know you didn't see it when you guys, uh,_ talked_, but she's very kind, and brave."

"She speaks her mind," Zoe added. "I admire that."

I sighed. "Yeah, but you don't have to live with that smart mouth of hers. It's all admirable when it's not getting you in trouble."

There was a soft chuckle, but Zoe didn't answer.

The cliffs along the river were getting taller. Long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright.

Without thinking, I took Riptide out of my pocket. Zoe looked at the pen, and her expression was pained.

"You made this," I said.

"Who told thee?"

"I had a dream about it."

She studied me. I was sure she was going to call me crazy, but she just sighed. "It was a gift. And a mistake."

"Who was the hero?" I asked.

Zoe shook her head. "Do not make me say his name. I swore never to speak it again."

"You act like I should know him."

"I am sure you do, hero. Don't all you boys want to be just like him?"

Her voice was bitter, I decided not to ask what she meant. I looked down at Riptide, and for the first time, I wondered if it was cursed.

"If he is still hurting you now, I don't think I do," I said softly. She said nothing, so I decided to change subjects. "Your mother was a water goddess?" I asked.

"Yes, Pleione. She had five daughters. My sisters and I. The Hesperides."

"Those were the girls who lived in a garden at the edge of the West. With the golden apple tree and a dragon guarding it."

"Yes," Zoe said wistfully. "Ladon."

"But weren't there only four sisters?"

"There are now. I was exiled. Forgotten. Blotted out as if I never existed."

"Why?"

Zoe pointed to my pen. "Because I betrayed my family and helped a hero. You won't find that in the legend either. He never spoke of me. After his direct assault on Ladon failed, I gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but _he _took all the credit."

"Well he sounds like a standup guy," I muttered sarcastically. I rolled Riptide around in my hand. "You made another one like this, right?"

Zoe nodded. "Yes, I made two."

"My sister has the other one."

To my surprise, Zoe looked shocked. "Really?"

"Yeah, Chiron said they were forged together."

"I must say I'm surprised."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because I never gave the hero the other sword. When he was gone, and I was exiled, I got rid of it. I did not know what had become of it till now. The chances that they would end back up together…"

"Chiron said that it was used in a war or something. Handed down soldier to soldier. Everyone who ever used that sword carved their name into the blade."

Zoe nodded, almost like she was proud.

"I've got to ask, though, why did you make the handles different?"

"What does thy mean? The swords were made identical."

I shook my head. "Cammie's handle, it's different. Not a lot, but it's sort of noticeable."

The hunter just shrugged. "Must have happened after I rid myself of it. I made them to be identical. I can only tell the difference between the two because that one"—she pointed to my pen—"is a few inches longer.

"But—"

_Gurgle, gurgle,_ the naiade spoke in my mind. The canoe was slowing down.

I looked ahead, and I saw why.

This was as far as they could take us. The river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in our path.

* * *

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge."

We stood at the river's edge, looking up at the curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas.

The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling—not in words I could understand, but it was obvious they hated this dam blocking up their nice river. Our canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Seven hundred feet tall," I said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Grover sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoe stared at us. "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," I said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she was here," I said.

The others nodded. Zoe was still looking at us strangely, but I didn't care. It seemed like cruel fate that we'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites, and she wasn't here to see it.

"We should go up there," I said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoe decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."

* * *

We had to walk for almost an hour before we found a path that lead up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then we straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.

Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but I knew he smelled monsters.

"How close are they?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us…the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

I didn't either. It was already Wednesday, only two days until winter solstice, and we still had a long way to go. We didn't need any more monsters.

"There's a snack bar in the visitors center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" I asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?"

Thalia's expression darkened. I could tell that she'd come here before hoping for exactly that—some kind of sign from her dad. Some connection. "No. They don't do anything. They're just metal statues."

I thought about the last big metal statue we'd run into. That hadn't gone so well. But I decided not to bring it up.

"Let us find the dam snake bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can."

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snake bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing," Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam French fries."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

Maybe it was the fact that we were so tired and strung out emotionally, but I started cracking up, and Thalia and Grover joined in, while Zoe just looked at us. "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," Grover said.

"And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."

I busted up, and I probably would've kept laughing all day, but then I hear a noise:

"Moooo."

The smile melted off my face. I wondered if the noise was just inside my head, but Grover had stopped laughing too. He was looking around, confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

Zoe listened. "I hear nothing."

Thalia was looking at me. "Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing," I said. "I…I just need a minute. To think."

They hesitated, but I guess I must've looked upset, because they finally went into the visitor center without me. As soon as they were gone, I started jogging to the north edge of the dam.

Only, a hand on my shoulder stopped me. Well, I more like almost yanked me clear off my feet. I was prepared to tell Thalia, or Grover, that I really was fine, but as I saw who it was, I felt my heart suddenly stop beating. For a second, it was like I was seeing through somebody else's eyes. Specifically, my sisters.

I'm ashamed to say it, but on more than one occasion, I spied on my sister while she was at Gallagher. I would watch what was going on through her eyes. I don't think she knows I do it, and if she does, she hasn't said anything, but there are a few common things I see when I do: a lot of boring extremely difficult homework, some delicious looking crème brulee, and two girls. To be precise, a little blond girl named Liz, and a strong—sort of intimidating—English girl named Bex.

Out of all the people in the world, me running into one of these two girls is highly unlikely. And unfortunately, I had to run into the intimidating one.

And she had picked me out of a crowd.

This wasn't looking good.

I started stuttering, looking around for an exit. From what Cammie had told me about this girl—and from what I had seen—she wasn't someone I'd want to be caught by. She had spy parents, raised to be one all her life. Cammie compared her to Annabeth, and that was terrifying enough by itself. I'd never met Rebecca Baxter in person before, but I knew to be scared of her.

At the same time, though, I hated her. It may have been petty and stupid of me, but I blamed her. I blamed her for Cammie not living at home in New York. I blamed her for the rift between the two of us last summer. I hated how she could mean something to my sister. Mean enough to keep us apart. I was jealous, and so I hated her for _that _too. I hated her for not giving my sister back, for keeping us apart, for making me _feel _this way, and I hated her for making me hate her. I just hated her. I hated Rebecca Baxter.

But I felt all that fading as I looked into her eyes. She didn't stop me because she realized Cammie had lied about me being dead. She thought I _was _Cammie. And she was disappointed. Really disappointed. She didn't know about her. She didn't know she was missing and in danger. But there was still worry in her eyes. Deep, heart-wrenching worry. And I couldn't hate her for that. In all that time I spent despising her, and Liz too, I never really considered that they cared about my sister. I know, that sounds dumb, but I've seen enough fake friends to know that you don't have to strictly care about someone to be buddies with them. They may cry for your loss, but they'd be over it in a few days. This girl, though, didn't even _know _my sister was in trouble and was still worried.

Now, up close, Bex Baxter seemed much more real. And I couldn't find myself hateing her.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at my face. She was studying me, and it was making me uncomfortable. "I thought you were someone else."

"Uh, yeah," I said, taking a look down at the hand still gripping my arm. "I kind of guessed that."

She let me go, reluctantly though. She was still staring. "You…you look like a friend of mine. I guess I've just been going crazy trying to get in touch with her that I'm starting to see her everywhere."

"_Her?_" I knew I shouldn't have, but I started to tease her a bit. I guess it was just the Cammie in me that couldn't keep it in.

It made her smile a bit though. Blush too. "Shut up. You look scary alike. I took one bloody look at you and was convinced. Even you smile…

I waved her off. "No, no, it's okay. It's happened before. I guess I just have one of those faces that just looks like everybody else's."

"I guess so." Bex took a step back. "I should go. Sorry for stopping you."

She took off, briskly walking in the other direction. Our conversation was short, but…enlightening.

And that was how I first met my sister's best friend, the infamous Bex Baxter.

"Moooo."

And then I remember I had a date with a cow.

* * *

I continued my trek over to the north edge and looked over.

"Moo."

She was about thirty feet below in the lake, but I could see her clearly: my friend from Long Island Sound, Bessie the cow serpent.

I looked around. There were groups of kids running along the dam. A lot of senior citizens. Some families. But Bex Baxter was gone, and no one seemed to be paying Bessie any attention yet.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"Moo!"

Her voice was urgent, like she was trying to warn me of something.

"How did you get here?" I asked. We were thousands of miles from Long Island, hundreds of miles inland. There was no way she could've swum all the way here. And yet, here she was.

Bessie swam in a circle and butted her head against the side of the dam. "Moo!"

She wanted me to come with her. She was telling me to hurry.

"I can't," I told her. "My friends are inside."

She looked at me with her sad brown eyes. Then she gave one more urgent "Mooo!", did a flip and disappeared into the water.

I hesitated. Something was wrong. She was trying to tell me that. I considered jumping over the side and following her, but then I tensed. The hairs on my arms bristled. I looked down at the dam road to the east and I saw two men walking slowly toward me. They wore gray camouflage outfits that flickered over skeletal bodies.

They passed through a group of kids and pushed them aside. A kid yelled, "Hey!" One of the warriors turned, his face changing momentarily into a skull.

"Ah!" the kid yelled, and his whole group backed away.

I ran for the visitor center.

I was almost to the stares when I heard tires squeal. On the west side of the dam, a black van swerved to a stop in the middle of the road, nearly plowing into some old people.

The van doors opened and more skeletal warriors piled out. I was surrounded.

I bolted down the stairs and through the museum entrance. The security guard at the metal detector yelled, "Hey, kid!" But I didn't stop.

I ran through the exhibits and ducked behind a tour group. I looked for my friends, but I couldn't see them anywhere. Where was the dam snack bar?

"Stop!" the metal-detector guy yelled.

A foot suddenly came out and he face planted on the ground. My eyes traveled up one long tan leg of one Bex Baxter, who gave me a smile and a wink. _All's forgiven? _She mouthed to me.

I smirked and gave her a thumbs up as I slipped into an elevator with a tour group. _Totally, _I mouthed back, just as the door closed.

"We'll be going down seven hundred feet," our tour guide said cheerfully. She was a park ranger, with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and tinted glasses. I guess she hadn't noticed that I was being chased. "Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen, the elevator never breaks."

"Does this go to the snack bar?" I asked her.

A few people behind me chuckled. The tour guide looked at me. Something about her gaze made my skin tingle.

"To the turbines, young man," the lady said. "Weren't you listening to my fascinating presentation upstairs?"

"Oh, uh, sure. Is there another way out of the dam?"

"It's a dead end," a tourist behind me said. "For heaven's sake. The only way out is the other elevator."

The doors opened.

"Go right ahead, folks," the tour guild told us. "Another ranger is waiting for you at the end of the corridor."

I didn't have much choice but to go out with the group.

"And young man," the tour guide called. I looked back. She'd taken off her glasses. Her eyes were startlingly gray, like storm clouds. "There is always a way out for those cleaver enough to find it."

The doors closed with the tour guide inside, leaving me alone.

Before I could think too much about the woman in the elevator, a _ding _came from around the corner. The second elevator was opening, and I heard an unmistakable sound—the clattering of skeleton teeth.

I ran after the tour group, through a tunnel cared out of solid rock. It seemed to run forever. The walls were moist, and the air hummed with electricity and the roar of water. I came out on a U-shaped balcony that overlooked this huge warehouse area. Fifty feet below, enormous turbines were running. It was a big room, but I didn't see any other exit, unless I wanted to jump into the turbines and get churned up to make electricity. I didn't.

Another tour guide was talking over the microphone, telling the tourists about water supplies in Nevada. I prayed that Thalia, Zoe, and Grover were okay. They might already be captured, or eating at the snake bar, completely unaware that we were being surrounded. And stupid me: I had trapped myself in a hole hundreds of feet below the surface.

I worked my way around the crowd, trying not to be too obvious about it. There was a hallway at the other side of the balcony—maybe some place I could hide. I kept my hand on Riptide, ready to strike.

By the time I got to the opposite side of the balcony, my nerves were shot. I backed into the little hallway and watched the tunnel I'd come from.

Then right behind me I heard a sharp _Chhh! _Like the voice of a skeleton.

Without thinking, I uncapped Riptide and spun, slashing with my sword.

The girl I'd just tried to slice in half yelped and dropped her Kleenex.

"Oh my god!" she shouted. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?"

The first thing that went through my head was that the sword hadn't hurt her. It had passed clean through her body, harmlessly. "You're mortal!"

She looked at me in disbelief. "What's _that _supposed to mean? Of course I'm mortal! How did you get that sword past security?"

"I didn't—Wait, you can see it's a sword?"

The girl rolled her eyes, which were green like mine. She had frizzy reddish-brown hair. Her nose was also red, like she had a cold. She wore a big maroon Harvard sweatshirt and jeans that were covered with marker stains and little holes, like she spent her free time poking them with a fork.

"Well, it's either a sword or the biggest toothpick in the world," she said. "And why didn't it hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining. Who are you? And whoa, what is that you're wearing? Is that made of lion fur?"

She asked so many questions so fast, it was like she was throwing rocks at me. I couldn't think of what to say. I looked at my sleeves to see if the Nemean Lion pelt had somehow changed back to fur, but it still looked like a brown winter coat to me.

I knew the skeleton warriors were still chasing me. I had no time to waste. But I just stared at the redheaded girl. Then I remembered what Thalia had done at Westover Hall to fool the teachers. Maybe I could manipulate the Mist.

I concentrated hard and snapped my fingers. "You don't see a sword," I told the girl. "Just a ballpoint pen."

She blinked. "Um…no. It's a sword, weirdo."

"Who _are _you?" I demanded.

She huffed indignantly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you going to answer _my _question or should I scream for security?"

"No!" I said. "I mean, I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm in trouble."

"In a hurry or in trouble?"

"Um, sort of both."

She looked over my shoulder and her eyes widened. "Bathroom!"

"What?"

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!"

I don't know why, but I listened to her. I slipped inside the boys' bathroom and left Rachel Elizabeth Dare standing outside. Later, that seemed cowardly to me. I'd also pretty sure it saved my life.

I heard the clattering, hissing sounds of skeletons as they came closer.

My grip tightened on Riptide. What was I thinking? I'd left a mortal girl out there to die. I was preparing to burst out and fight when Rachel Elizabeth Dare started talking in that rapid-fire machine gun way of hers.

"Oh my god! Did you _see _that kid? It's about time you got here. He tried to kill me! He had a sword, for god's sake. You security guys let a sword-swinging lunatic inside a national landmark? I mean, jeez! He ran that way toward those turbine thingies. I think he went over the side or something. Maybe he fell."

The skeletons clattered excitedly. I heard them moving off.

Rachel opened the door. "All clear. But you'd better hurry."

She looked shaken. Her face was gray and sweaty.

I peeked around the corner. Three skeleton warriors were running toward the other end of the balcony. The way to the elevator was clear for a few seconds.

"I owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

"What are those things?" she asked. "They looked like—"

"Skeletons?"

She nodded uneasily.

"Do yourself a favor," I said. "Forget it. Forget you ever saw me."

"Forget you tried to kill me?"

"Yeah. That, too."

"But who are you?"

"Percy—" I started to say, but then I remembered how Cam had mentioned how important it was to keep your name safe, and how closely she protected her own. Though I doubted this girl was going to let me go with just a first name. But as I saw the skeletons turn around, I figured I had an excuse. "Gotta go!"

"What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go?"

I bolted for the exit.

* * *

The café was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour—the dam lunch. Thalia, Zoe, and Grover were just sitting down with their food.

"We need to leave," I gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said. "Where were you?"

"Talking to a pretty British girl and a crazy frizzy haired ginger," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "Now, _we need to leave._"

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look."

The café windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us.

I counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.

But our immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing me in the turbine room not appeared on the stairs. They saw me from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. We bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant _ding, _and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. We were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. I'm not sure what the other kids in the café saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.

The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.

In the chaos, Thalia and I tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as we burst outside.

I didn't have an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. We ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain.

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the café were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Four against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And _they _cannot die."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

Something shiny caught the corner of my eye. I glanced behind me at the statue's feet. "Whoa," I said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

But I couldn't help staring at the two giant bronze guys with tall bladed wings like letter openers. They were weathered brown except for their toes, which shone like new pennies from all the times people had rubbed them for good luck.

Good luck. The blessing of Zeus.

I thought about the tour guide in the elevator. Her gray eyes and her smile. What had she said? _There is always a way for those clever enough to find it._

"Thalia," I said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at me. "He never answers."

"Just this once," I pleaded. "Ask for help. I think…I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.

"Do it!" I yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!"

"Who says?"

I hesitated. "Athena, I think."

Thalia scowled like she was sure I'd gone crazy.

"Try it," Grover pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. I put in my own prayer to Annabeth's mom, hoping I was right that it had been her in that elevator—that she was trying to help us save her daughter.

And nothing happened.

The skeletons closed in. I raised Riptide to defend myself. Thalia held up her shield. Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

A shadow fell over me. I thought maybe it was the shadow of death. Then I realized it was the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. I raised my lion coat for protection, but I didn't need it. The bronze angels stepped in front of us and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what where those tourists thinking?"

As stunned as I was by the angels, I was more concerned with the skeletons. A few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"Trouble!" I said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a _please, _Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided.

And the next thing I knew, one of them Grabbed Thalia and me, the other grabbed Zoe and Grover, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains.

From all the way up here, I could see the steep slope of Hoover Dams face. And I saw something that defiantly wasn't there before. The bright blue paint stood out against the light tan color of the concrete.

"What is that?!" Zoe yelled over the rush of wind in our faces.

"It looks like a bunch of symbols! Gibberish!" Grover said.

I laughed, sort of manically. "It's a message!"

"From who!?"

"Cammie!" I shook my head in adoration. "Message received. You are _on, _sis. You are _ON!_"

* * *

**So, only a day late. I call that a success. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've been looking forward to a Percy-Bex meeting for ages now. It was short, but kind of worth it in my opinion. I sort of get the feeling they would get along _great, _so it'll writing them together later on is going to be fun.**

**I really don't have much else to say, so I hope you guys have a wonderful week, Cam's chapter is up next, and I love you all. **

**See you later my Nerdletts!**


	21. Chapter 14-Part Two

I RIDE INTO THE SUNSET ON A CHICKEN

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

It was the third time I had thrown my necklace out the window. I watched as it rolled off into the distance until it became a speckle in the landscape. Each time, only seconds after it was gone did I feel it's weight return around my neck.

I signed, almost frustrated, pulling it off over my head again. I weighed it in my palm, glaring down at it to give me answers.

"Are you going to chuck that thing out again?" Roe slurred from the back seat sarcastically. The poison still hadn't completely worn off. "Or can you keep your focus on the road from now on? I think we're nearing town."

I ignored her, and tossed it one more time. I watched, then waited. When nothing happened, I stopped the car on the side of the road and hopped out.

"She might have finally lost it," I heard Roe grumble to Josh as I started walking away.

I made my way over to my necklace. It lay in a puddle of mud, and I reached down to pick it up, wiping away the gunk. It stared back up at me almost mockingly. I gave it a squeeze, not knowing what to make of this.

I crawled back into the car, and fastened my seatbelt. I put my necklace back on, and started driving again.

"It didn't return to you this time," Josh said from the back. I met his eyes in the rearview mirror. He was propped up against the car door, his eyes serious. "It didn't return to you when the Amphisaena took it either."

"I'm aware," I grumbled. "It does that sometimes. Not often. But I'll take it off at night, and then in the morning, I'll leave without it, and usually it'll just appear as I'm walking down to breakfast, but some days I'll find myself reaching for it and it not being there. I've never been in danger without it till now."

"Does Percy's do that too?" Josh asked, trying to sit up.

I shook my head. "No. Riptide is completely reliable." I glared down at my weapon. It hung there all innocent-like. "Mine glitches."

"But aren't they, like, the same?" Roe asked. "Weren't they forged together and all that?"

"That's what Chiron said." I shrugged. "I'll have to ask him about it when we get back. Maybe he can fix it or something."

"Okay, but from now on, how about you just not take it off?" Josh suggested, worry in his voice.

I sighed, but nodded. "Probably a good idea."

"But now I'm serious," Roe said in a joking tone. "Eyes on the road. You driving at all makes me nervous enough. I'd rather not survive a two headed monster only to die in a car crash. So anti-climactic."

I knew she was trying to lighten the mood, not only for my sake, but her own. I could tell she was bummed she missed the opportunity to stay with her brother. We were running late on schedule, so turning back now wasn't an option. She was stuck continuing on this quest until further notice. And while she kept on a brave face, I knew Roe well enough to know she was pouting in the back seat.

"So, think we're going to run into any more snakes?" Josh joked.

"Do _not _mention those reptilians ever again!" Roe gagged. "I have had enough of those slimy, scalely monstrosities."

"I guess we just hit the serpent-jackpot this time," I shrugged. "On the bright side, now only snakes are ruined for you. If it had been something furry you'd probably never be able to look at a dog the same way again."

"Well, I've always been more of a cat person myself, actually," Roe sniffed.

"Team canine," Josh said, fist pumping the air weakly.

"Gods, somebody move me so I'm not leaning on this guy," Roe mocked.

The light for gas on the car's dash started flashing, signaling we needed gas. "Keep your eyes peeled for a gas station," I said. "We're almost out."

We made it about ten more miles before we spotted a Chippies Quick Stop. Good thing, too, 'cause it seemed like we were on our last couple drops of gas. By that point, my friends' limbs seemed to be able to work, and we all got out to stretch our legs and get some junk food inside the station.

"Look Cam!" Roe held up two bags. "Free ice!"

I gave her a thumbs up. "Sounds good, Roe."

Josh shook his head. "It's the simple things that delight her."

"I'm way more complex," I said, heading toward the candy isle. "You got to buy me some kit-kats to get a smile out of me."

He picked up a few bars. "Consider it done."

After raiding the store for candy, donuts, Doritos, and caffeinated beverages, we stood at the counter to pay. A man came up behind us, and waited. He looked to be about forty-some years old, very scruffy looking. He was sporting a smile though, and his teeth shone brighter than any I'd seen on toothpaste commercials. I half debated suggesting he audition for one, but the cashier handed back our change so we left.

Halfway back to the car, the man came out of the convenience store and stopped us. "Hey! Hey kid!"

We turned back around as he came jogging up to us. He held out a hand. "You dropped one of your kit-kats," he said brightly.

"Oh, thanks," I said, taking it from him. I didn't even realize I dropped it.

"Do I get a smile now?" he asked, giving one of his own.

Coming from Josh, that line would have been cute. Melted my heart, really. But it was just weird and freaky when this guy did it. If not for the fact that he was way older than me and a stranger, than for the way his teeth nearly blinded me.

I gave him a weak one though, just so I didn't offend him. "Uh, thanks."

"Is that any way to treat a family member, cousin?"

I went from not liking where this was going, to _really _not liking where this was going. My fist tightened around my candy bar. "Who are you?" I asked, trying not to sound threatening.

"I keep forgetting we haven't formally met," he said. "How about we move somewhere a little more private and I'll change out of this dingy old disguise into something a little more…_me._"

"Or we could just stay right where we are," Josh said, coming up beside me.

"Now, now nephew, calm your flappy sandals," the man chuckled, waving his hands. "You sweet on this girl or something? She is pretty." He sent Josh a wink. "Nice choice."

"Who are you?" Roe asked, already pulling out her bow and arrows.

"No need to get violent!" he said. "I just want to talk. Help you actually!" He looked me straight in the eyes. "Just like I helped your brother."

"Percy?" I asked, taking a step closer. "You've seen Percy?"

The man nodded. "He's in good hands, I swear. I've paid him a few…_visits, _and he's on the right course. You'll be meeting up real soon."

"Well, where is he?" I asked. "Where can I find him?"

"Sort of why I'm here," he said. "We both want the same thing. To find our siblings." The man held out a hand. "Name's Apollo, sweetheart. Nice to finally meet you."

* * *

We decided to follow the god into a more secluded place. Well, it was less of a group decision, and more of me telling my friends "I'm going. This guy knows about my brother, follow me if you want". And, as promised, he changed into a different form. This time a blond haired business man in his early thirties wearing a pure white suit. He had a thin goatee and a wide smile.

"What do you think?" he asked, adjusting his suit. "I'm trying to stay _incognito._ Tried the homeless guy approach before. Too smelly for my tastes." He took a deep breath. "Oh, yeah, I'm enjoying that _Ambre Topkapi _smell."

"You spoke to my brother earlier," I said. "What did he say? Where is he headed?"

"I don't think even he's sure of that, kid," the god said. "I want to tell you, really I do, but I wouldn't be wasting time if I did. Said as much to Percy. There is only so much I can do without getting into trouble." He smirked at me. "But you Jacksons seem to have a thing for seeking it out."

"I don't look for trouble," I said, crossing my arms. "I'm just easily swayed by its appeal."

"Exactly my point." The sun god took a few steps closer to me, crossing his own arms. "Look, here's the deal. I'm here to help you. There isn't much I can do, but what little I can should help you a ton. Starting with this little tidbit of advice." He looked past me, towards Josh and Roe. "Send your friends home."

"Are you crazy?" Roe yelled, putting her hands on her hips, kicking a little chunk of dirt as she stomped. "Cammie can't go alone. It's too dangerous."

"You can _not _avoid a prophecy," he said, turning his gaze to mine. "You know this, Cammie. No matter how hard you try. And trust me, many have tried. Haven't you heard of all those myths where someone hears a prophecy, then has the _wise _idea to try and avoid it? Oedipus? Perseus—not your brother, mind you—? The uncle of Romulus and Remus? I mean, even Kronos tried avoiding his fate of being overthrown by _eating his children! _If that's not trying your hardest, I don't know what is.Don't forget that myths are actually history, and if you don't remember your history, you are bound to repeat it. A prophecy is a telling of fate." Apollo pointed one accusing finger at me. "And despite what you might think, you are not above fate, Cameron Jackson."

His tone actually made me a little ashamed of myself for even trying.

"I mean, it's sort of insulting, really," he said. "I'm the god of a lot of things, prophecy being one of them. And they are disregarded like Terms and Conditions pages. Except mine actually matter!"

"If there is no way to avoid a prophecy," Josh asked, "does that mean someone has already died?"

My stomach dropped and ice water ran through my heart at Apollo's sad expression. He didn't have to say anything, his face spoke volumes.

"Who?" I asked. He didn't answer. "Who!?"

"It wasn't your brother," he told me. "I told you, he's fine."

"I have two other friends on this quest," I yelled. "Was it one of them? You have to tell me!"

The sun god held out his hands. "Stop. I'm pushing lines as it is. I can't interfere anymore. You're going to be upset no matter who it is, so why don't you stay focused on the task at hand instead of mourning?"

I didn't care if it made sense or not. I _needed _to know.

"But _how badly _am I going to be mourning?" I grounded out. "How bad is it going to be?"

It took him a while to answer. He looked old, sort of wise. It looked like he was seeing past me, but not through me. He seemed to be picking his words out carefully, and when he finally spoke, he was hesitant. "Not as bad as you're thinking."

Josh's hand on my shoulder stopped me from asking any more questions on the subject. I couldn't even begin to form words in my head. I was blank.

"Send your friends home," Apollo advised. "Before fate decides to start picking them off to fulfill the prophecy."

* * *

I walked my friends back to the car. Roe was hissing and cursing, not even looking me in the eye. Josh held my hand, squeezing every time I flinched. "She'll cool down," he said. "She's just upset she won't be there to protect you."

I nodded, squeezing back. "I know." I looked up at him. "You'll take her back to her brothers? Now that you guys have the time…"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll make sure she's settled in before heading back."

"You'll check in with Chiron every so often, right? So he knows you're coming?"

Josh laughed. "Gosh, you are such a worry-wart."

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you," I said. "You're my friend."

His face flushed pink. "About that, I've been meaning to ask you something."

My eyebrows drew together. "What?"

"Being your friend is great and all, and I wouldn't end it for anything…but even great things could use an upgrade."

I cocked my head to the side. "Um, I'm not following exactly."

"What I'm trying to get at…" his face was really red now, and he was sweating, and stuttering, and I was worried he was about to have a heat stroke.

"Josh—"

"Oh gods," Roe groaned from the car. "Just _do it!_"

"Do wha—"

One of his hands gripped me from the back of my head, and pulled me closer. I stumbled, grabbing on to his arms so I wouldn't fall. My little lurch brought me down a few inches, so when Josh leaned in to me, he ended up kissing my cheek instead. Something he was quick to fix, sliding down to my mouth.

The kiss was sweet; it was innocent. It was everything I had ever dreamed it would be. Josh's lips were soft, and he held my head gently. My eyes were closed, so I couldn't see, but if I had to guess, I would assume his were as well, and together we savored this amazing moment with no one but each other.

"Well it's about time!"

And Roe.

We pulled away from each other. Josh looked like he was about to melt into a puddle if I didn't say something soon.

But I could still feel his lips on my own. My hands were still holding onto him.

"I…I guess," I mumbled, too afraid to speak louder. "I guess I could use that upgrade."

A smile split across his face, and suddenly I was imagining that smile kissing my own.

"Okay, okay, gross," Roe said, walking up to us. "About time you two just sucked it up and kissed, but still. Gross."

Now I was flushed red. Josh stood there, smiling proudly.

"We need to go before I puke," Roe concluded. "Lover boy, up front, you're driving. I need to talk with my girl."

Josh squeezed my hand before walking to the car. He kept glancing back at me, still smiling.

"Look at him, acting all stupid," Roe muttered. When the car door slammed behind him, she stared me down. "If he gets out of line in any way, you tell me, and I'll handle it for you."

I scoffed. "Roe, this is Josh we're talking about."

"I don't care if it's a boy scout we're talking about—wait, is Josh a boy scout?—doesn't matter. What matters is that he doesn't make you uncomfortable or hurt you. If he does—"

"You and Percy will beat him up," I said. "Yeah, I think Josh values his life enough not to do that." I pulled her into a hug. "But thanks for worrying."

"I always worry about you," she said. "You're always attracting some kind of trouble."

"No trouble here. This is completely without trouble."

"You say that now." Roe pulled away, giving me a look. "But just you wait. Something will happen, I know it."

"Go," I insist. "You need to go meet up with your brother."

My friend smiled. "You take care of yourself."

"Same to you."

* * *

"He's a real cutie," Apollo said as the car pulled away. He seemed to have just appeared beside me, and it made me jump.

"Uh, yeah, he is."

"Hermes' kid, right?"

"Yeah."

_"Young love is so cute._

_They like to hold each other's hands,_

_Because that is sweet."_

Turning to give him a bizarre stare, I asked, "Did you just make a haiku about me and Josh?"

He nodded. "Your welcome."

"Uh, thanks."

Apollo laid a hand on my shoulder. "Well, because they just stole your ride, how about I give you a new one?"

He lead me back to where we had been before, pulling something out of his pocket. It was a small wooden flute. It had shallow carvings in the body, and they were very simple. Apollo put the flute to his lips and blew, creating a very soothing sweet tune. He continued to play, though what for, I didn't know. Until I saw a speck in the sky. A large dark speck that was getting closer and closer. I looked to the god, but he seemed completely calm about the situation, so I assumed this was his plan from the start.

As the creature got closer, I couldn't decide if it was a really large rooster, or a Pegasus with a really bad hairdo. But when it landed, I saw it was neither a rooster nor a Pegasus. It was both.

The back end of a rooster, and the front of a horse. The creature's main was made up of feathers the stood straight up like a Mohawk. Instead of lips, it had a yellow beak, and its back chicken legs matched. It had a red wattle under its chin, and I could hear it clucking. It had large wings, one the length of my body. Instead of a tail of hair, it had a plume of rooster feathers. It was black, orange, and red. It was kind of a goofy looking creature, and I sort of wanted to laugh. But at the same time, it was beautiful. In its own way.

"Go ahead, chuckle," Apollo said. "That's what keeps evil spirits away." The sun god walked over, and the creature timidly took a step back. He placed a hand on the side of its neck, soothing it. "This is Keaton. He's a Hippalectryon. He's going to be your ride."

I came closer to get a good look at him. He sort of acted like a rooster, his head twitching, looking around. But he was very calm, almost docile. I held out a hand, and his nudged it with his beak.

"Aw, he likes you," Apollo cooed. "Maybe you guys can talk or something, seeing as he's part horse."

"Hello," I said softly to him. "I'm Cammie." He didn't respond, simply nudged my hand again. "I guess not."

"Too bad," Apollo sighed. "I've been singing him haiku's all day, wanted to get his opinion on them."

"Where did you find him?" I asked, brushing my hand along his side.

Apollo smirked. "I may have…stolen him."

Quirking an eyebrow, I asked, "Stolen him?"

"I may not be Hermes, but I'm not helpless in the thieving field. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The guy was only using him to make omelets." He gave my shoulder a squeeze. "That being said, good luck Cameron Jackson."

"Thanks. I'm just going to make a quick call, then—" But he had already disappeared. "I'll be off."

* * *

Keaton was off plucking at something in the field. I pulled out my phone and booted it up. Might as well call Bex real quick. She's probably having a fit by now, reading the search parties. Well, if the ten voicemails and twenty text messages were anything to go by, she already had.

Sighing, I resisted banging my head against something. Bless her heart, but she was insane. Deciding not to listen to any of her, or Lizzie's, messages, or read their texts, I decided to just call her instead.

She picked up on the first ring. "You don't happen to cross dress, right?"

Surprisingly not the weirdest thing she's asked me. "No, can't say I have. What, looking for tips?"

"I'm pretty sure I just say you."

I spun around, surveying my surroundings. "Is that so?" I asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"Except you were a guy."

"Last time I checked I was not in fact a guy," I snarked.

"Then I just meet your twin, because the resemblance was bloody uncanny."

Chuckling, I asked, "and where did you find my twin?"

"Hoover Dam. Mum and da have a drop off near here, so I decided to spend the day seeing the sights."

That was sort of suspicious, but I wasn't silly enough to believe it was Percy. The likely hood of that was far too low.

"Helped him escape some guards that were chasing him," Bex laughed. "But then he just got in trouble later when he ticked off some chick who though he tried to kill her with a sword."

"A sword?" I swallowed. _Don't get your hopes up, Cammie. It's probably not him._

"Yeah. Bloody crazy, that one. She seriously thought his pen was a sword. I'm not even joking, she was _convinced._"

_Hope levels: RISING._

"Sounds crazy, Bex," I said, running over to Keaton. "So, Hoover Dam you said?"

"Yeah, kind of boring."

"Want to play a game?"

There was a pause on the other end. "What kind of game?"

"The test your spy skills, kind of game."

I described what I wanted her to do, and she immediately protested. "No way am I doing that, have you gone mad!? That's defacing government property! People would no doubt _see _me!"

"Come on Bex, show me how good you can spy," I encouraged.

"I don't even know where to find blue paint in this maze."

"You'll think of something. You're smart."

Bex grumbled on the other end. "What exactly do these symbols look like?"

I described what I wanted her to do, and double checked to make sure she had them right.

"I don't know why I'm doing this," Bex growled. "I'm angry at you."

"At me?" I gasped. "Why!"

"You haven't answered any of my calls, or my texts. You've been off grid, and I've had no way to get into contact with you."

"I'm fine, Bex."

"Yeah, and why should I actually believe that? You think I don't see it but I _do. _You're hiding something, and I want to know what."

It was a common argument between the two of us. One Liz often had to defuse. Bex was smart. No doubt she would be one of the greatest spies of our generation. So it wasn't bizarre that she figured out something was wrong with my cover story. She just didn't know what. She tired pulling it from me whenever it came up, and slowly I was feeling my resistance fading.

"Bex, we've been over this," I sighed. "One day I'll tell you."

"And we've been over _this._ I know you don't actually plan on that."

It was silent on both our ends.

"So is the game off?" I asked.

"No…I just want you to know I'm angry and we're going to talk about it."

I nodded before remembering I was on the phone. "Okay, will do."

"No, we won't." She sighed. "I'll see you when break is over, okay?"

"Of course."

She hung up then. I had to sit down for a second. Suddenly, the weight of this past week settled down on me. I never felt so frazzled.

Keaton nuzzled my shoulder, so I stroked his neck. "You're a sweetie," I said. "I guess we should get going."

The Hippalectryon bowed down to help me climb up. I tried not to pull his feathers as I ascended. I shifted till I sat comfortably before rubbing Keaton's ear. "Okay, I'm ready."

He started to run, and it felt funny, like a galloping jump. I had to hold on tight so I wouldn't fall off. As we gained speed, his wings snapped out, and suddenly we were coming off the ground. Flying still made me nervous—Uncle Zu-Zu isn't my biggest fan and he doesn't like me to be up in his domain—but Keaton was a much smoother flyer then runner, and the wind in my hair felt heavenly.

We soared for what seemed like a blissful eternity, when I felt something tingle at the back of my head. It wasn't anything physical, just…a feeling. A happy feeling. A soaring, gleeful feeling.

And in that moment, I knew Percy had seen my sign. And I could have sworn he was flying too.

* * *

**Hey! Decent update timing! Whoop Whoop! I didn't think I would, I've been wrapped up in something else. Anyway, I know Hippalectryon are mentioned in the next book, but I plan on keeping Keaton around for a while. Sorry if my haiku sucked. I'm not a poet, I'm barely a writer.**

**Anyway that's all for this week. We'll see how long it takes me for the next chapter. Night Nerdletts.**


	22. Chapter 15-Part One

I WRESLE WITH SANTA'S EVIL TWIN

* * *

_Race you to the finish line, bro._

I hadn't seen that made up language in such a long time, I had almost forgot I knew it. The challenge was written in blue paint, still dripping down the face of the dam. I didn't know how she had pulled it off—my best guess had something to do with Bex, though I didn't understand how—but my sister had given me a message. And a trial. One I was definitely going to beat her at.

"How did she do it?" Zoe asked over the rushing wind, her eyes squinting at me through the gust. "Why didn't she just come find us?"

"I'm betting she isn't in the city," I said. "I'm starting to feel the connection coming back, and she doesn't feel close."

"Then _how _could she have done it?"

I laughed. "I don't know!" I shouted gleefully. "My sister is very creative."

I looked over at Thalia to see if she was as excited about this new message as I was. But she looked less than astatic.

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight. The statue was holding on to us so we couldn't fall, but still Thalia clutched his arm like it was the most important thing in the world.

"Everything's fine," I promised.

"Are…are we very high?"

I looked down. Below us, a range of snowy mountains zipped by. I stretched out my foot and kicked snow off one of the peaks.

"Nah," I said. "Not that high."

"We are in the Sierras!" Zoe yelled. She and Grover were hanging from the arms of the other statue. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel said. "I am _so _there!"

"You guy have visited San Francisco?" I asked.

"We automations gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" our statue said. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" the other statue, Chuck, cut in. "They're kids, man."

"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, I swear Hank did. "Back to flying."

We sped up, so I could tell the angels were excited. The mountains fell away into hills, and then we were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways.

Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as we flew by. Every time she saw a Target department store—and we passed dozens of them—she would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour.

Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way. She muttered to herself a lot, like she was praying.

"You did good back there," I told her. "Zeus listened."

It was hard to tell what she was thinking with her eyes closed.

"Maybe," she said. "How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you."

I told her about the weird mortal girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who seemed to be able to see right through the Mist. I thought Thalia was going to call me crazy, but she just nodded.

"Some mortals are like that," she said. "Nobody knows why."

Suddenly I flashed on something I'd never considered. My _mom _was like that. She had seen the Minotaur on Half-Blood Hill and known exactly what it was. She hadn't been surprised at all last year when I'd told her my friend Tyson was really a Cyclops. Maybe she'd known all along. No wonder she'd been so scared for me and Cam growing up. She saw through the Mist even better than the two of us.

"Well, the girl was annoying," I said. "But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would've been bad."

Thalia nodded. "Must be nice to be a regular mortal."

She said that as if she'd given it a lot of thought.

* * *

"Where you guys want to land?" Hank asked, waking me up from a nap.

I looked down and said, "Whoa."

I'd seen San Francisco in pictures before, but never in real life. it was probably the most beautiful city I'd ever seen: kind of like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan had been surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog. I felt like I should take a picture or something. _Greetings From Frisco. Haven't Died Yet. Wish You Were Here._

"There," Zoe suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

We all looked at him.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. We freaked out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when we landed. He screamed when he saw Hank and Chuck and ran off yelling something about metal angels from Mars.

We said our good-byes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends. That's when I realized I had no idea what we were going to do next.

We'd made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth too, I hoped. But I had no idea how to find them, and tomorrow was the winter solstice. Nor did I have any clue what monster Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to find _us _on the quest. It was supposed to "show the trail", but it never had. Now we were stuck on the ferry dock with not much money, no friends, and no luck.

After a brief discussion, we agreed that we needed to figure out just whant this mystery monster was.

"But how?" I asked.

"Nereus," Grover said.

I looked at him. "What?"

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

I nodded. I'd completely forgotten my last conversation with the sun god.

"The old man of the sea," I remembered. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoe made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

* * *

I knew I was in trouble when we stopped at the Goodwill drop box. Five minutes later, Zoe had me outfitted in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoe nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," I grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in."

She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoe finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoe said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she asked. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell…different."

"Great." I didn't want to ask for particulars. "And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of my shirt—a big clump of fuzz that came from who knows where. "Eww. On second though…I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

Grover gave me a big thumbs-up.

I grumbled how nice it was to have super-powerful friends. Then I headed toward the dock.

I pulled my hat down and stumbled like I was about to pass out, which wasn't hard considering how tired I was. I passed our homeless friend from the Embarcadero, who was still trying to warn the other guys about the metal angels from Mars.

He didn't smell good, but he didn't smell…different. I kept walking

A couple of grimy dudes with plastic grocery bags for hats checked me out as I came close.

"Beat it kid!" one of them muttered.

I moved away. They smelled pretty bed, but just regular old bad. Nothing unusual.

There was a lady with a bunch of plastic flamingos sticking out of a shopping cart. She glared at me like I was going to steal her birds.

At the end of the pier, a guy who looked about a million years old was passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pajamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow, kind of like Santa Claus, if Santa had been rolled out of bed and dragged through a landfill.

And his smell?

As I got closer, I froze. he smelled bad, all right—but _ocean _bad. Like hot seaweed and dead fish and brine. If the ocean had an ugly side…this guy was it.

I tried not to gag as I sat down near him like I was tired. Santa opened one eye suspiciously. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn't look. I muttered something about stupid school, and stupid parent, figuring that might sound reasonable.

Santa Claus went back to sleep.

I tensed. I knew this was going to look strange. I didn't know how the other homeless people would react. But I jumped Santa Claus.

"Ahhhhhh!" he screamed. I meant to grab him, but he seemed to grab me instead. It was as if he'd never been asleep at all. he certainly didn't act like a weak old man. He had a grip like steel. "Help me!" he screamed as he squeezed me to death.

"That's a crime!" one of the other homeless guys yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

I rolled, all right—straight down the pier until my head slammed into a post. I was dazed for a second, and Nereus's grip slackened. He was making a break for it. Before he could, I regained my senses and tackled him from behind.

"I don't have any money!" He tried to get up and run, but I locked my arms around his chest. His rotten fish smell was awful, but I held on.

"I don't want money," I said as he fought. "I'm a half-blood! I want information!"

That just made him struggle harder. "Heroes! Why do you always pick on me?"

"Because you know everything!"

He growled and tried to shake me off his back. it was like holding on to a roller coaster. He thrashed around, making it impossible for me to keep on my feet, but I gritted my teeth and squeezed tighter. We staggered toward the edge of the pier and I got an idea.

"Oh, no!" I said. "Not the water!"

The plan worked. Immediately, Nereus yelled in triumph and jumped off the edge. Together, we plunged into San Francisco Bay.

He must've been surprised when I tightened my grip, the ocean filling me with extra strength. But Nereus had a few tricks left, too. He changed shape until I was holding a sleek black seal.

I've heard people make jokes about trying to hold a greased pig, but I'm telling you, holding on to a seal in the water is harder. Nereus plunged straight down, wriggling and thrashing and spiraling through the dark water. If I hadn't been Poseidon's son, there's no way I could've stayed with him.

Nereus spun and expanded, turning into a killer whale, but I grabbed his dorsal fin as he burst out of the water.

A whole bunch of tourists went, "Whoa!"

I managed to wave at the crowd. _Yeah, we do this every day here in San Francisco._

Nereus plunged into the water and turned into a slimy eel. I started to tie him into a knot until he realized what was going on and changed back to human form. "Why won't you drown?" he wailed, pummeling me with his fists.

"I'm Poseidon's son," I said.

"Curse that upstart! I was here first!"

Finally he collapsed on the edge of the boat dock. Above us was one of those tourist piers lined with shops, like a mall on water. Nereus was heaving and gasping. I was feeling great. I could've gone on all day, but I didn't tell him that. I wanted him to feel like he'd put up a good fight.

My friends ran down the steps from the pier.

"You got him!" Zoe said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," I said.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," I said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

I looked at my friends.

This wasn't good. I needed to find Artemis, and I needed to figure out what the doomsday creature was. I also needed to know if Annabeth was still alive, and how to rescue her. Knowing the exact location of my sister would be nice, too. How could I ask that all in one question?

A voice inside me was screaming _Ask about Annabeth! _That's what I cared about most.

But then I imagined what Ananbeth might say. She would never forgive me if I saved her and didn't save Olympus. Zoe would want me to ask about Artemis, but Chiron had told us the monster was even more important.

I sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Oh, that's easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

Nereus pointed to the water at my feet.

"Where?" I asked.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" I yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is _that?_"

"MOOOOOOOOOO!"

I looked down, and there was my friend the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. she nudged my shoe and gave me the sad brown eyes.

"Ah, Bessie," I said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand her…er, him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

The Ophi-what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Mooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

I was wondering how you got all that out of a single _moooo._

"Wait," Zoe said, looking at me. "You know this cow?"

I was feeling impatient, but I told them the story.

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well…yeah." It seemed silly, now that she said it, but things had been happening so fast. Bessie, the Ophiotaurus, seemed like a minor detail.

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?"

"From the War of Titans," she said. "My…my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" I looked down at the bull serpent. "But…he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

I patted Bessie on the head, trying to calm him down. He let me scratch his ear, but he was trembling.

"How could anyone hurt him?" I asked. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed it's entrails to the fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about _entrails, _too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods…how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan War, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. Bessie shivered.

Thalia's expression bothered me. She almost looked…hungry.

"We have to protect him," I told her. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's…That's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power _you _shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

I looked up. We'd been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed.

Standing behind us, his two-colored eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

* * *

"This is just pairrrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically he didn't look much better than the guys down at the soup kitchen.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of the half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys, some of the mortal mercenaries I'd seen in D.C. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above us—but I knew that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

"Where…where are the skeletons?" I asked the manticore.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I'm worthless? He allows that human woman to whisper things about me in his ear? About how I am of no use to the cause? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

I needed time to think. I had to save Bessie. I could dive into the sea, but how could I make a quick getaway with a five-hundred-pound cow serpent? And what about my friends?

"We beat you once before," I said.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas…that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of us raised their guns.

"Wait!" I said. "Zoe, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witness Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring tis entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. I wasn't sure if I felt relieved, horrified, or disappointed. I wasn't the prophecy kid after all. Neither was Cam, though that only brought me elation. Doomsday was happening right now. Less elated.

I waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friends Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," I said. "Snap out of it!"

She looked at me the same why she had the morning she woke up on Half-Blood Hill, dazed and uncertain. It was almost like she didn't know me. "I…I don't—"

"Your father helped you," I said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.

I looked at Grover desperately. Thank the gods, he understood what I needed. He raised his pipes to his mouth and played a quick riff.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoe, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe Let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows!

The guard started coughing. The manticore shot spines in our direction, but they ricocheted off my lion's coat.

"Grover," I said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooo!" Grover translated. I could only hope that Bessie got the message.

"The cow…" Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Come on!" I pulled her along as we ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier. We dashed around the corner of the nearest store. I heard the manticore shouting at his minions, "Get them!" Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air.

We scrambled to the end of the pier. We hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals—wind chimes and dream caters and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight. There was a water fountain next to us. Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before us: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end.

"Go over the side!" Zoe told me. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

She was right, but I couldn't do it.

"I won't leave you guys," I said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Then I noticed the crystals making a rainbow in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to me…

"Get word to camp," I muttered. "Good idea."

I uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.

Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she asked.

But Grover understood. He was already fishing around in his pockets for a coin. He threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"

The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" I said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was the last person I wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" I shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," I amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

Mr. D considered that. I wanted to scream at him to hurry up, but I knew that wouldn't work. Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

I looked at my friends. "We're dead."

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

I didn't see that it would make any difference, but I told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care!" I screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

I wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but I didn't have time. the manticore screamed, "There!" And we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any _real _help. Wonderful."

"You could _ask _for help," Mr. D murmured to me, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could always say please."

When wild boars fly, I thought. There was no way I was going to die begging a slob like Mr. D, just so he could laugh as we all got gunned down.

Zoe readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before. She had been cornered on Half-Blood Hill. She'd willingly give her life for her friends. But this time, she couldn't save us.

How could I let that happen to her?

"Please, Mr. D," I muttered. "Help?"

Of course, nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up to quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.

_SNAP!_

It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"No!" screamed the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail brisled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, the manticore was no more.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing the refrigerator. "That was fun."

I stared at him, horrified. "How could you…How did you—"

"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father."

He stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You…you saved us."

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," I said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoe. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."

"Mr. D," I said.

He raised his eyebrow.

"You called me by my right name," I said. "You called me Percy Jackson."

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around us, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One of them had found our friend the homeless guy, and they were having a serious conversation about metal angels from Mars. Several other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and tryhing to steal their shoes.

I looked at Zoe. "What did he mean… 'You know where to go'?"

Her face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

* * *

Leaning back on a cushioned wheeled desk chair, hundreds of miles away, Catherine sighed in disappointment at what she saw on the computer screen. Her agents acting like buffoons, and in front of civilians, no less.

She sat up and leaned her elbows against the desk. "At this rate I won't have any agents left. What a shame." She picked up the phone beside the computer, dialing a number. "Are you seeing this?" she asked. "Good. Clean it up. Those tourists are no doubt videotaping this disaster. It'll be all over the web by tonight. They're useless to us now. Get rid of them, and bring in some new recruits. This assignment is running us dry."

* * *

**…Guys…it happened again…I've been gone for a really long time, and I have no excuses…other then I had no motivation, and I've been really tired because school just started, and I took an AP English course, and pre-celc, and those two classes have been eating at my social life. In all honesty, those two classes have been hitting me fairly hard. Not because they are difficult or anything, but the homework load is unbelievable. And the math teacher is just the sweetest slice of pie ever known to man, and my English teacher is the bomb, so I can't even hate them for it. So yeah, this is going to be a difficult year for me, and I just wanted to warn you that completing this story might take a bit. I've completed the next chapter already, so I should be good for another two weeks (?) but I give no guarantees. I'm really sorry about this guys, really I am.**

**But on a brighter note, who do you think is going to win the race?**

**Have a good night, Nerdletts.**


	23. Chapter 15-Part Two

I WIN

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

Keaton and I flew across the Nevada border, giving me a good view of Death Valley. We had been flying for about an hour or so, and I was starting to get bored. Good thing Keaton was a good listener.

"So basically this little punk moseys on up to me and Percy," I tell the rooster-horse, using one hand to gesture, the other to hold on tight. "Starts waving his metal baton around, screaming at us. We—of course—start screaming back. He had been throwing around some nasty comments, we don't stand for that type of stuff. Thankfully he needed his cane to stand, so he had to put it down, and we just walked away. Old geezer couldn't keep up. I don't even remember what we did to deserve getting yelled at, but that day a war started between us and lasted until the day old Mr. Eggler moved. And that's how we made the seventy year old man on our streets hate our guts." I sighed happily, leaning up against his neck. "The good old days. When Percy and I made enemies randomly for doing nothing." I frowned. "Actually, things haven't at all."

Sighing, I hiding my face in Keaton's feathery mane. My face was starting to get wind burn, and my eyes stung from how fast we were going. Not to mention I was a little frustrated. All this flying, and we could be heading in the wrong direction. I didn't know where I had to be or when. For all I knew, Percy had already rescued Artemis, and they were off having celebratory sodas!

"Keaton!" I groaned, muffling my face in his neck. "What do I do?"

Nothing.

"You are part horse, so can't you talk to me?"

Nothing.

"Boooooo," I said. "You're no help." I sat back up, letting the wind pull my hair back. "I guess I could try and focus in on Percy and I's connection. It's not completely back, but maybe I could get some fragments of what he's thinking?"

Nothing.

"Thanks, Keaton! Wouldn't have known what to do without you."

Keaton's head nodded, shaking his mane out.

"At least you have a sense of humor," I muttered with a smile, patting his neck lovingly. "So, I'm going to check out for a bit, try and tap into the connection. Don't get bored without me, sweet pea."

I didn't really know how to, though. It had always come so naturally to me, having to think about it was different.

_Cammie to Percy, Cammie to Percy, do you read me?_

He was about as talkative as Keaton.

_Before, you could feel his happiness,_ I thought. _Try and follow that. Isolate that feeling, and then run across it to find a way inside._

My face scrunched up as I looked for that happiness that I could feel in the back of my mind. It was there, snuggled up in a tight little ball, waving back at me. I waved back, and let it lead me out of my mind, and into a similar one.

I felt so much when I entered Percy's mind. Worry, anger, sadness, fear, and happiness. It was all jumbled together in a messy tangle of thoughts and pictures. Our connection wasn't fully restored, so I couldn't properly make anything out. Anytime I tried to hang on to something, it would slip from my grasps and rush away. The only ones I could grab a hold of were the ones of me. How happy he was to have seen my message. How much he missed me. How scared he had been before not knowing where I was. It broke my heart how upset he was, but secretly filled me with a warmth, seeing how much he cares for me. When I saw him again, I'd have to give him an extra-long hug.

I could feel his general location, somewhere on the west coast of the U.S., and I caught a glimpse of the Golden Gate bridge a few times, so I narrowed it down to San Francisco.

"But where is he going?" I growled. His thoughts constantly flying around me in a flurry of unobtainable information was starting to grate on my nerves.

A particularly large thought speed pass me, and I chased after it.

_Tam, _it whispered conspiratorially. _Tam._

I got closer, but it was gone just as quick as it came. I stomped my foot in frustration, causing Keaton to whinny in objection. I opened my eyes then, coming back to reality. I could feel the wind in my face again, and it made my eyes sting. I wiped at them with the back of my sleeve.

"Okay, Keaton," I said. "Let's land soon. I need to look into a little something called Tam."

* * *

Keaton landed on the edge of a forest near a town, where hopefully I'd be able to find a computer. He went off sniffing into the woods, looking for apples, or maybe corn. I didn't exactly know which side his appetite came from. But I thought it would be best to leave him to his own devices for a few hours while I went to go research. No need to freak the towns people out by riding in on a rooster-horse.

Thankfully, town was only a mile or two away from the woods, so I reached it in a reasonable amount of time. It was fairly busy, people running around unnoticing. A perfect climate for a chameleon. I wove in and out of clusters, and stuck to the shadows, trying not to be noticeably strange. It seemed to work, because I received no strange looks, and anyone who did glance my way never let their eyes linger. I was becoming a tad bit proud of myself for all the chameleoning I'd been doing lately. I had to say, I was getting pretty good at it.

The down town of this city was like any I'd ever seen. I took a glance around. A barber shop. Lots of antique stores. A Thai restaurant, and a bakery at each street corner. I glanced in the window of "Mr. Chips Cookie Emporium", staring at a M&amp;M cookie with a bunch of blue candies in it. And through the reflection of the glass, I saw TOWN LIBRARY.

A smirk stretched across my face. I jogged across the street, and slipped inside as an old man came limping out, tipping his hat my way. I nodded back, and let the air conditioned building cool me down. Thankfully, this town wasn't so old that it wouldn't have any computers. I sat myself down at one in the corner.

Unfortunately, a password was required to log in. I threw my hands up. Whatever happened to public use?

I noticed someone in the next row stand up and start to gather their things. Turning my head just enough to see, I spotted a teenaged girl, with big glasses and a long sweeter clumsily throw things in her backpack. She seemed to be late for something, thrusting her pencil bag into a side pocket, and picking up a little piece of paper to stare at it. She mouthed the words lightly as she read what was on there to see its importance. On the back, the card had the library insignia on it, and bolded lettering with the words ACCOUNT IMFORMATION at the very top.

She crumpled it up, and threw it away in a nearby trash can, before scurrying off. I waited till she was out of sight before standing up, and making my way over to the bin. I scrunched my nose as I reached in between a brown banana peel and some chewed gum. The gum stuck to the back, and I started to gag. I stuck a fresh tissue to it, and took it back to my computer.

The username was HLuvsBooks46, and the password was JKRisMyHero98. I wondered if that was personally chosen or if the library assigned it.

The log in was successful, and I brought up Google. In the search bar I put "San Francisco, California TAM. The first thing to pop up was a Vietnamese restaurant , then Doctor Janice C. Tam, the dentist, and finally an asthma and allergy clinic. None which really seemed to make sense. I looked down further, and a few entries seemed to fit a similar theme.

"Mt. Tamalpais," I muttered to myself. "Also known as Mt. Tam." I chuckled to myself. "Big and noticeable, just like the gods and titans like it."

* * *

I was heading back out of the library, a set of printed directions to Mt. Tam in my pocket, and decided to hit the water fountain before I left. It was old fashioned, but had a steady stream, much to my pleasure. I leaned down to take a sip when a shrill voice yelled out, "STOP! Don't do that!"

I jumped away from the fountain, my hands raised in the air. One of the librarians was waddling my way, a sign waving behind her. She clucked nervously. "I'm so sorry, I must have forgotten to turn this on off. Bad me, bad me." She reached down and twisted the valve to cut off the water supply. She turned back to me with a smile. "Sorry about that. You must not have heard yet."

"Heard what?" I asked nervously, my hands still held up.

"The water supply," she clucked. "It's been contaminated. Horrible thing, really." She stuck the sign on the fountain. DO NOT USE.

"The water supply?" I repeated. "What happened?"

She shrugged. "We don't know at this point. Maybe someone dumped something they weren't supposed to, or some kind of sickness among the fish." She leaned in and whispered, "I think it's all this pollution that's in the air. Thinning ozone and all that." She leaned back and sighed. "Terrible thing, really. Just terrible. It'll take weeks to clean up."

She waddled back off, leaving me by myself. Science had a wonderful way of explaining this all away, but my life had been proven over and over again to be nothing as expected.

But they were dead. My father and his mermen army had killed off every last one of them. He promised that it was over. For good.

I looked at the water fountain. Not a single one of them should have been able to escape. They were in full view of the army when they attacked. Out of that many mermen, one of them would have noticed if one escaped.

Except Damon wasn't even out in the open when they were attacked. He was in the underwater castle, which had flooded and collapsed. Could he really have survived? He was a monster, but could even he escape that?

Logic told me it was a coincidence. That water could be contaminated in other ways.

But reality told me that my life was never that simple, and I really just wasn't that lucky.

Thoughts of Damon overtook my mind all the way back to the forest to get Keaton. Monsters had a sort of resilience unlike any other creature. It was possible that he survived. But maybe I was just being paranoid. I just didn't know where to draw the line.

Keaton was hidden in the brush, talking to some blue jays that had come to pick from the ground. They fluttered off when they saw me, alerting my rooster-horse to my return.

"Hey," I whispered tiredly, running my fingers through my hair. "Time to go buddy. Mt. Tam is a ways away still."

His head twitched sideways, and he came closer. I stroked his neck. "Let's get out of here," I sighed. "I don't want to accidentally get caught by some sea dog thing. Again."

His head bobbed in questioning.

"I very may well have released a poison demon on the world that's really upset and angry," I told him. "But then again, maybe I didn't. I can't really be sure."

Again, his head bobbed, but this time more in understanding. I dug the map out of my pocket and unfolded it. "So we need to get here," I told him. "Do you think you can take me there?"

He stepped back, and bowed down, allowing me to jump on. I situated myself on his back, trying to get comfortable before telling him I was ready to go. We hit the skies, and I shivered in the wind.

So much was happening. So much was going wrong. My life seemed like it was spinning out of control. It was my own fault, really. I'm the one who decided she wanted a double life, and I had to make it two of the most difficult lives to live in. Though one wasn't exactly optional, I could have decided to become a secret graffiti artist instead of a spy. Except I sucked at art. A skateboarder? Yeah, I could do that. Secret skateboarder.

But the point still stood. Life was becoming more and more difficult, and I didn't know how much longer I could hold on before slipping off.

Man, what I wouldn't do to have Percy by my side right now, cheering me up. He'd know what to say.

* * *

We rode for several more hours before I caught sight of the Golden Gate Bridge. My mouth hung open as we flew above the beautiful city. As a mountain came into view, my mouth shut, and I was reminded of why I was here.

"Can you take me to the top?" I asked Keaton. He whinnied a yes. He seemed to know where he was going, which was kind of strange. Most creatures I'd met weren't exactly smart by any means. They were animals for the most part. But Keaton seemed to be more than that. He understood things, and he could navigate without direction. He really was an amazing creature.

We neared the top of the mountain, and I thought I spotted something below, but we were flying so fast it simply disappeared in the clouds. I shrugged. Must have been my imagination. Keaton started slowing down, flapping his wings longer, and steading us in the air. Fallen columns and runes surrounded us as we touched down. I looked around, starting to feel nervous.

I hopped off Keaton, and gave his neck a loving pat. "You be safe now," I told him. "Thank you for your help. I couldn't have made it without you." He nuzzled me with his head, whining softly. I soothed him, kissing the crown of his head. "I hope we meet again.

I stepped away and started walking toward the summit. I could hear Keaton's wings flapping behind me as he took off.

_"Until we meet again, my friend."_

I turned at the voice in my head, smiling as the rooster-horse flew away. "Oh you cheeky boy!" I laughed.

* * *

I had to jump over large piles of rubble to make my way through to the top, cursing under my breath at how cold it was up here. "They couldn't have picked somewhere warm to keep Artemis?" I muttered, watching my breath fog. A weird vortex of gray clouds swirled, making a funnel cloud. I could see it from where Keaton had dropped me off, and decided that that must be were the trouble lay. So I made my way over to it.

And instead of finding it touching down at the very top of the mountain, found it on the shoulders of a young girl with auburn hair, and a tattered silver dress. She couldn't have been any older then twelve years. I cursed, and ran to her.

"Hey!" I yelled, slipping on some rubble. The girl's head rose and her eyes meet mine. She had beautiful silver eyes that seemed beyond her years. That just goes to show you what the life of a demigod will do to you, which is what I assumed she was.

I kneeled beside her. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Sorry, stupid question, of course you're not. Here, let me help you."

"No," she protested, her voice weak with fatigue. "Go. You must leave."

"I'm not going to leave you here," I told her. "That's not who I am. You need help."

"I _command _that you leave."

"_Command _all you want, kiddo," I sassed, reaching up to help her hold up this strange funnel cloud. "But I'm not leaving. You need my help, and I'm going to give it to you."

As half of the weight settled on my shoulders, my knees started to buckle, and I gasped out in pain. This weight was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It was unnaturally heavy, like it was made to be difficult to hold.

I started to pant, and clutched my eyes in pain. Wanting to distract myself from the burn, I asked the little girl, "What is your name, kid?"

"I am Artemis."

My eyes bulged as I took in the goddess. I would never have guessed, based on her appearance. She didn't look like a goddess at the moment. She looked young, and she looked tired. Not how I normally imagined a goddess.

"You're Artemis?" I gaped.

She nodded weakly. "Now will you retreat?"

The thought seriously crossed my mind. But my resolve held firm. "No," I said. "Goddess or not, you're not having an easy time holding this thing up. So you have my help, even if it's not much. It's yours."

"That is so sweet."

I tried to turn my head to see who had spoken. Though I didn't need to see to know.

"Luke."

* * *

**I'm a day late, I know, I suck. But I had a mess load of homework yesterday—that I didn't even finish, I might add—and in my flurry to get it all done forgot to upload this, and the two days earlier I was on a few college visits and didn't bring my computer along with me. So sorry, I just didn't have the time.**

**But thanks for the warm welcome back! I know I was gone a really long time, but it was nice to see people are still keeping up. A big thanks to _superheronerd99 _for the lovely words. You made me blush profusely. You're a sweetie.**

**I'm glad you haven't given up on me yet, and I hope you have a good night.**

**Senior Nerd out. Nerdletts dismissed.**


	24. Chapter 16

WE MEET THE DRAGON OF ETERNAL BAD BREATH

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

"We will never make it," Zoe said. "We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," Bessie said. He swam next to me as we jogged along the waterfront. We'd left the shopping center pier far behind. We were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than I'd realized. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," I said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

Or Annabeth will be dead, I thought, I thought, but I didn't say that.

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" I asked.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "I mean, he was in long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following _me,_" I said. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.

"I…I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him."

I stared at him. Grover was no fan of the water. He'd almost drowned last summer in the Sea of Monsters, and he couldn't swim very well with his goat hooves.

"I'm the only one who can talk to him," Grover said. "It makes sense."

He bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

I didn't understand how they could possibly swim back to Long Island from California. Then again, monsters didn't travel the same way humans did. I'd seen plenty evidence of that.

I tried to concentrate on the waves, the smell of the ocean, the sound of the tide.

"Dad," I said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

I thought for a second. Then I took off my coat.

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin…that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

As soon as he said that, I realized something.

I glanced at Zoe, who was watching me carefully. I realized I _did _know who Zoe's hero had been—the one who'd ruined her life, gotten her kicked out of her family, and never even mentioned how she'd helped him: Hercules, a hero I'd admired all my life.

"If I'm going to survive," I said, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

I threw the coat into the Bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped into the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," I told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Find Annabeth and Cammie, okay?"

I nodded. "Promise."

"Okay, um…Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island, and… it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Moooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—" _Glub!_

Under they went, and I hoped my father's protection would extend to little things, like breathing.

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoe said. "But how can we get to my sister's garden?"

"Thalia's right," I said. "We need a car. I mean, we could always…borrow one." I shrugged. "Cammie did teach me how to hotwire a car."

"Steeling will get us noticed," Zoe said.

"Well, there's no one here to help us—"

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There _is _somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?" I asked.

Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad."

* * *

After hearing Annabeth gripe about her dad for two years, I was expecting him to have devil horns and fangs. I was _not _expecting him to be wearing old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles. He looked so weird, with his eyes bugged out through the glasses, that we all took a step back on the frong porch.

"Hello," he said in a friendly voice. "Are you delivering my airplanes?"

Thalia, Zoe, and I looked at each other warily.

"Um, no, sir," I said.

"Drat," he said. "I need three more Sopwith Camels."

"Right," I said, thought I had no clue what he was talking about. "We're friends of Annabeth's."

"Annabeth?" He straightened as if I'd just given him an electric shock. "Is she all right? Has something happened?"

None of us answered, but our faces must've told him that something was very wrong. He took off his cap and goggles. He had sandy-colored hair like Annabeth and intense brown eyes. He was handsome, I guess, for an older guy, but it looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and his shirt was buttoned wrong , so one side of his collar stuck up higher than the other side.

"You better come in," he said.

* * *

It didn't look like a house they'd just moved into. There were LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. It seemed like a messy, happy kind of home—the kind of place that had been lived in forever.

"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"

"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "don't take apart your brother's robots."

"_I'm _Bobby," the little boy protested. "He's Matthew!"

"Matthew," Dr. Chase called, "don't take apart your brother's robots!"

"Okay dad!"

Dr. Chase turned to us. "We'll go upstairs to my study. This way."

"Honey?" a woman called. Annabeth's stepmom appeared in the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was a pretty Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied in a bun.

"Who are our guests?" she asked.

"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is…"

He stared at us blankly.

"Frederick," she chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"

We all introduced ourselves a little uneasily, but Mrs. Chase seemed really nice. She asked if we were hungry. We admitted we were, and she told us she'd bring us some cookies and sandwiches and sodas.

"Dear," Dr. Chase said. "They came about Annabeth."

I half expected Mrs. Chase to turn into a raving lunatic at the mention of her stepdaughter, but she just pursed her lips and looked concerned. "All right. Go on up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She smiled at me. "Nice meeting you, Percy. I've heard a lot about you."

* * *

Upstairs, we walked into Dr. Chase's study and I said, "Whoa!"

The room was wall-to-wall books, but what really caught my attention were the war toys. There was a huge table with miniature tanks and soldiers fighting along a blue pained river, with hills and fake trees and stuff. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceiling, tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight.

Dr. Chase smiled. "Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they've been given credit for."

He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making airplane engine noises as he knocked down little German soldiers.

"Oh, right," I said. I knew Annabeth's dad was a professor of military history. She'd never mentioned he played with toy soldiers.

Zoe came over and studied the battlefield. "The German lines were farther from the river."

Dr. Chase started at her. "How do you know that?"

"I was there," she said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."

Dr. Chase opened his mouth in shock. "You—"

"She's a Hunter, sir," Thalia said. "But that's not why we're here. We need—"

"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" Dr. Chase asked. "How many were there? What formation did they fly?"

"Sir," Thalia broke in again. "Annabeth is in danger."

That got his attention. He set the biplane down.

"Of course," he said. "Tell me everything."

It wasn't easy, but we tried. Meanwhile, the afternoon light was fading outside. We were running out of time.

When we'd finished, Dr. Chase collapsed in his leather recliner. He laced his hands. "My poor brave Annabeth." He looked at me. "And I'm so sorry about your sister. We must hurry."

"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamalpais," Zoe said. "And we need it immediately."

"I'll drive you. Hmmm, it would be faster to fly in my Camel, but it only seats two."

"Whoa, you have an actual biplane?" I asked.

"Down at Crissy Field," Dr. Chase said proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the finest World War 1 relics in the world. He let me restore the Sopwith Camel—"

"Sir," Thalia said. "Just a car would be great. And it might be better if we went without you. It's too dangerous."

Dr. Chase frowned uncomfortably. "Now wait a minute, young lady. Annabeth is my daughter. Dangerous or not, I…I can't just—"

"Snacks," Mrs. Chase announced. She pushed through the door with a tray full of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and Cokes and cookies fresh out of the oven, the chocolate chips still gooey. Thalia and I inhaled a few cookies while Zoe said, "I can drive, sir. I'm not as young as I look. I promise not to destroy your car."

Mrs. Chase knit her eyebrows. "What's this about?"

"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them, but…apparently it's no place for mortals."

It sounded like it was really hard for him to get that last part out.

I waited for Mrs. Chase to say no. I mean, what mortal parent would allow three underage (well, except Zoe) teenagers to borrow their car? To my surprise, Mrs. Chase nodded. "Then they'd better get going."

"Right!" Dr. Chase jumped up and started patting his pockets. "My keys…"

His wife sighed. "Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped inside your aviator hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."

"Right!" Dr. Chase said.

Zoe grabbed a sandwich. "Thank you both. We should go. _Now._"

We hustled out the door and down the stairs, the Chases right behind us.

"Percy," Mrs. Chase called as I was leaving, "tell Annabeth…Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that."

I took one last look at the messy living room, Annabeth's half brothers spilling LEGOs and arguing, the smell of cookies filling the air. Not a bad place, I thought.

"I'll tell her," I promised.

We ran out to the yellow VW convertible parked in the driveway. The sun was going down. I figured we had less than an hour to save Annabeth and find my sister.

* * *

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded.

Zoe glared at her. "I cannot control traffic."

"You both should like my mother," I said.

"Shut up!" they said in unison.

Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when we finally got into Marin County and exited the hightway.

The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"What does everything smell like cough drops?" I asked.

"Eucalyptus." Zoe pointed to the huge trees all around us.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"And monsters," she said. "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me," Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

I didn't question her, but I did keep my eyes peeled more closely as we drove. Ahead of us loomed Mount Tamalpais. I guess, in terms of mountains, it was a small one, but it looked plenty huge as we were driving toward it.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" I asked.

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"

She was silent for almost a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."

"The General," I said. Clouds seemed to be swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top. "What's going on up there? A storm?"

Zoe didn't answer. I got a feeling she knew exactly what the clouds meant, and she didn't like it.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind or natural kind?" I asked.

"Both."

The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountains, and we kept driving straight toward them. We were out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

I happened to glance down at the ocean as we passed a scenic curve, and I saw something that made me jump out of my seat.

"Look!" But we turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," I said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."

Her eyes widened. "Luke's ship?"

I wanted to say I wasn't sure. It might be a coincidence. But I knew better. The _Princess Andromeda, _Luke's demon cruise ship, was docked at that beach. That's why he'd sent his ship all the way down to the Panama Canal. It was the only way to sail it from the East Coast to California.

"We will have company, then," Zoë said grimly. "Kronos's army."

I was about to answer, when suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Zoe must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and pushed me hard. We both rolled onto the pavement. The next second: BOOOM!"

Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. I probably would've been killed by shrapnel except for Thalia's shield, which appeared over me. I heard a sound like metal rain, and when I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by wreckage. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

I swallowed the taste of smoke out of my mouth, and looked at Thalia. "You saved my life."

"_One shall parish by a parent's hand,_" she muttered. "Curse him. He would destroy me? _Me?"_

It took me a second to realize she was talking about her dad. "Oh, hey, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way."

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"I don't know. Zoe said Kronos's name. Maybe he—"

Thalia shook her head, looking angry and stunned. "No. That wasn't it."

"Wait," I said. "Where's Zoe? Zoe!"

We both got up and ran around the blasted VW. Nothing inside. Nothing either direction down the road. I looked down the cliff. No sign of her.

"Zoe!" I shouted.

Then she was standing right next to me, pulling me by my arm. "Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Landon?"

"You mean we're here?"

"Very close," she said. "Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. Thalia and I looked at each other.

"Concentrate on Zoe," Thalia advised. "We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

"Wait, Thalia. About what happened back on the pier…I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice—"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You wouldn't have…you know?"

She hesitated. "I was just shocked. That's all."

"Zeus didn't send that lightning bolt at the car. It was Kronos. He's trying to manipulate you, make you angry at your dad."

She took a deep breath. "Percy, I know you're trying to make me feel better. Thanks. But come on. We need to go."

She stepped into the fog, into the Mist, and I followed.

When the fog cleared, I was still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like I'd seen in my dream.

* * *

If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples, and I don't mean yellow apples. I can't describe why they were so appealing, but as soon as I smelled their fragrance, I knew that one bite would be the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted.

"The apples of immortality," Thalia said. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."

I wanted to step right up and pluck one, except for the dragon coiled around the tree.

Now, I don't know what you think of when I say _dragon. _Whatever it is, it's not scary enough. The serpent's body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. I reached for Riptide, but Zoe stopped my hand. Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. It was strange, but I'd never realized how beautiful Zoe was until I saw her siblings, the Hesperides. They looked just like Zoe—gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoë said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see two half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." I stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied me. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.

"One of the Jackson twins," another whispered.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he and his sister are a threat."

"Who said we were threats?"

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that _this _one had not yet killed thee."

She pointed at Thalia.

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said.

"And Artemis," Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You must know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoe did the last thing I expected. She shouted, "Ladon, wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "Are you mad?!"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"_Should,_" I said. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the three of us together cannot fight him."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid. It made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end. I remembered the time a rat had died inside our apartment wall in New York in the middle of the summer. This stench was like that, except a hundred times stronger, and mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus. I promised myself right then that I would _never _ask a school nurse for another cough drop.

I wanted to draw my sword. But then I remembered my dream of Zoe and Hercules, and how Hercules had failed in a head-on assault. I decided to trust Zoe's judgment.

Thalia went left. I went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

Thalia and I were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled about it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.

We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.

I drew Riptide to help.

"No!" Zoe panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoe cried out. Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe sprinted past us up the mountain, and we followed.

The dragon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but I guess he was well trained to guard that tree. He wasn't going to be lured off, even by the tasty prospect of eating some heroes.

We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us. The music didn't sound so beautiful to me now—more like the sound track for a funeral.

* * *

At the top of mountains were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whisper in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" I asked, feeling like a fool as usual.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoe said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," I said. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying…in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces.

"But…how is it here?"

Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked out way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on _this _mountain, is not good."

"Why?"

"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."

"You _skatophage_! You _suagroi, kuna, koprolith!"_

"You have a colorful…_vocabulary._"

All those ancient cuss words…they were being screamed with a sort of passionate rage that only my sister seemed capable of.

And lo and behold, there she was. Yelling and screaming on the top of her lungs up toward the sky. She was still wearing the same outfit I had last seen her in, only much grimmer looking. She wore a lot more Band-Aids, and her eyes seemed to droop with tiredness and pain, but her face was enraged, a snarl more terrifying than a pack of angry German shepherds. She was kneeling down next to an auburn haired girl in a tattered silver dress—Artemis. Her legs were bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains, just like in my dream. The two of them were holding something up on their shoulders. And then I realized, it hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world.

"Cammie!" I screamed, rushing forward.

My sister looked up at me, her snarl replaced by a look of shock and desperation. She looked like a little kid again, begging me with her eyes to come to her. "Percy?" she whispered, and every other sound in the world ceased. I couldn't hear the roaring sky, or Zoe's cry to her lady. All I heard was my baby sister's soft plea. So I went faster.

"Stop!" Artemis said. "It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis. Probably why my dumb old sister was there beside her.

I ignored the goddesses' words, and started running towards her. Thalia yelled at me, lunging to grab at my arms, forcefully pulling me away. "Stop!" I yelled. "Let me go!"

Zoe ran forward to Artemis, tears running down her face as she tugged at the chains.

"Cammie!" I yelled. "Cammie, come here! Let go, and get over here!"

Cammie shook her head. "I need to help her hold up the sky!" she said. "She needs my help."

"She's a goddess, she's got this!"

"Go, young Jackson," Artemis insisted. "He's right. I've _got this._"

A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how toughing."

We turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaena bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

I met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending me, though: RUN.

"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. and you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a minute," I said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at me. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out."

"Watch your mouth, _methusai," _Cammie growled through her pain. "I'll come over there and skin you, I swear!"

His upper lip lifted in outrage. "And the biggest mouthed of them all. One day it'll get you in trouble. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

I didn't know which wretched girl he was talking about, Zoe or Cammie, but he was done for. "You're not going to hurt her," I said. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."

I frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

* * *

**Hi guys! The reunion has happened! It's finally here! Now it's time for some sibling love. Just a warning, updates might come every two weeks now. I just got a job—I know, I'm now a fully functioning member of society—and because they don't have a lot of workers right now—probably the only reason I _got _the job—I might be working a lot. So I'm making myself a two week cushion. **

**Anyway, I hope you loved it! It's been a fun one to write. If you want to know what…insults, Cam was spitting, here's the link: . I don't know if they are actually accurate. They're just sort of fun to throw in here and there. **

**Also, question (that I probably asked before, but can't remember): who do you think Roe's godly parent is? I haven't decided yet and I'm open to suggestion! **

**Also, to all you Burn Notice fans out there, be forewarned, I'm about to be dropping some Michael Weston quotes all over, thanks to **Engineer4Ever, **who reminded me that Michael is literally the best spy ever.**

**Well that's all! Hope you had an awesome Halloween. Nighty night, Nerdletts!**


	25. Chapter 17

I'VE PUT ON A FEW MILLION EXTRA POUNDS

* * *

**Cammie's Pov.**

* * *

I-I really hate to admit it, but holding up the sky, even with Artemis' help, was really taking its toll on me. My muscles were engulfed in fire, and I could feel my limbs shaking with exhaustion. My vision was starting to blur, my breaths coming out in short shallow pants. My throat went raw with all the screaming I had been doing, but all that yelling had left me tired, and my skin glistened with sweat.

I swung in and out of focus, not really hearing what was going on. Something about a father? Atlas being a father. Whose father? He was my father? _No, _no that's why she had said. Who had said? I lifted my head up and took a quick inventory. Percy, Thalia, Luke, Annabeth…_Hunter chick? _She looked upset. She must be his daughter. She sort of looked like him. He had that cold look in his eyes I had seen when I talked to her over the Idris message. She didn't look like that anymore. She just looked upset…really upset…who was upset again?

"Let Artemis go," she demanded.

Atlas walked closer to me and Artemis. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her then? Maybe you can help this poor creature as well."

Poor creature…? _Oh, _me—I was the poor creature.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you!"

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I looked at Annabeth. She looked different. Tired, her hair streaking with gray. Gray was a good look in her eyes, not her hair. It must have been from holding up the sky. She looked the picture of near death. At least I had help holding up the sky. I wondered if that was how I was going to look after this. She was staring at Percy, and it looked like she was trying to tell him something. She motioned her head toward Luke. Percy just stared back at her in confusion.

Thalia was saying something to Percy. Percy said something back. I had a hard time hearing, so I couldn't make it out. It sounded like something along the lines of 'letting the sky go'.

Atlas suddenly laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas look towards me. "It's a heavy burden. It can kill you."

Percy cursed, lurching towards him, but Thalia held him back.

Atlas approached them, studying the two. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy growled. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"Another coward," I panted softly.

Atlas heard, and turned his glowering eyes towards me. They burned with hate. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.

"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If I didn't hate his guts so much, I almost would've felt sorry for him. "Thalia, you can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to them, a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble. Percy looked absolutely horrified.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke…" Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree…"

His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. I had watched enough documentaries at Gallagher on hostage situations to know that Luke's life was on the line. Thalia was his ransom payer.

Maybe he was just a really great actor.

"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame. This was bad, this was really, _really _bad.

"Thalia," Percy said. "No."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, I saw images in the mist all around us: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and I could barely see from my crouched possition. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the _Princess_ _Andromeda _was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, maybe more than we'd seen on the board last summer. And they were marching toward the mountain. In a few minutes, they'd be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him.

That look made me panic. I wanted to believe she would do the right thing, but that look in her eyes…

"Thalia," I said as loud as I could. She turned to me. "I know his sob story is really good…I mean, _dang, _it's beautiful. And it resonates in your heart and all that jazz, but there is no excuse, _none, _for what he's doing."

Luke glared at me. "Shut up. Just shut up!"

But I had caught Thalia's attention. And for as long as I had it, I was going to make it count.

"He's angry at his dad, just like all of us are, so he's taking his anger out on the world. He doesn't care about anything else but himself. Sure, he makes it sound like he's all for righting the wrongs done to you, but look at what he's done to Annabeth. Look at what he's asking you to do. He's asking you to bring down the world for him. Be _realistic. _That's not the Luke you know."

Luke started protesting, but Thalia and I's eyes were connected, and I could tell she wasn't listening to him. She closed her eyes, blinking away tears, before turning back to Luke, and leveling her spear. "She's right. You aren't Luke. I don't know you. Not anymore."

"Yes," Luke said brokenly. "Yes you do, Thalia. Please. Don't make me…Don't make _him _destroy you."

Across the room, I heard my brother say, "Now."

And then they charged.

* * *

Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

And then Percy—my sweet, darling brother, who I adore above all else, and held in the highest esteem—pulled the world's stupidest stunt. He attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

He laughed as Percy approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"

"Percy," Zoe said. "Beware."

Chiron had long ago warned us: _Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve. _Once Percy attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might.

I wanted to scream as Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. He flew across the room, and hit the mist wall, that had materialized. The palace was rising. It was becoming real.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of the hunter girl's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to _me?"_

Percy's back went ridged at the mention of Ares. He charged again.

Exhaustion took over me again, suddenly, and my head dropped with a groan.

"Let go," Artemis told me. "I can hold it."

"No," I whimpered. "I know you're a goddess, but you're the one who needs to get out of here in one piece."

"You are as stubborn as your father."

"At the moment, I can't tell if that's a compliment or not."

I lifted my head, just in time to see Percy's sword go to the ground. My eyes furrowed in confusion. He couldn't be tired already.

Then I remembered the war god's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles, so long ago: _When you need it most, your sword will fail you._

I was going to kill that guy for good next time I saw him.

"Go help my brother," I told the goddess next to me. "Take my sword from around my neck, give it to him and join the fight."

"You are foolish to think in your state you could hold it up on your own," Artemis said.

Suddenly, Percy was flying across the room, hitting the ground next to us.

"Percy!" I cried, yearning to reach down at him. "Percy, get up!"

Atlas was taking his time coming back. Percy's sword had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. It would take too long for it to reappear. He'd be dead. Thalia and Luke were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.

"Die little hero," Atlas said.

"No!" I screamed, about to drop the sky in a desperate attempt to save him.

Atlas raised his javelin.

"No!" Zoe yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter.

Percy reached in his pocket for Riptide, but it hadn't appeared back yet. "Percy, take my sword," I pleaded. "Please, just take it.

He shook his head. "Even with a sword, I can't fight him. The prophecy even said so. _The Titan's curse must one withstand. _I don't stand a chance."

"You don't' stand a chance if you don't _fight," _I growled. "Don't give up!"

"I can't." Percy looked to Artemis. "But you can."

"No boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic swear. "If I give her the sky, she will be crushed!"

"She won't hold it alone," he promised. "I'm going to hold it with her."

Percy took my necklace from around my neck, and it extended into its celestial bronze form, slashing through the goddess's chains. Then he stepped next to her and braced himself on one knee, holding up his hands, and touched the sky. For a moment, all three of us bore the weight together. It was still the heaviest thing I'd ever taken.

Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and it was just me and Percy.

Things got worse again, and I could see the look of pain roll across Percy's face. He started to buckle under the weight, as did I, having the strength my brother over that of an immortal goddess. Percy started to pant.

"Perc," I gasped. "Percy, come on, hold on in there. You have to be strong."

"S-stronger than you," he wheezed. "Any day."

I chuckled breathily at that. "At least your humor wasn't crushed."

My vision blurred again. I only caught glimpses of the battle. There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. She was stunning as she shifted and attacked. I could see the goddess in her. Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.

"I don't know if I'm seeing that quite right," Percy mumbled, squinting at the fight.

I looked up at him now. "I'm still not quite sure that you're really here," I confessed. "It all just seems too…good to be true." I wanted to cry, because Percy was alive. He wasn't one to die, and as horrible as it sounded, I was glad it was someone else.

"_Shh, shh," _he soothed, and I realized I was crying.

"I'm just really happy to see you," I sobbed.

He extended his head towards me, touching our foreheads together. "Same."

"I didn't know if you had made it or not."

"I would never die. Not until I found you."

Having him here was like a weight being lifted off my shoulder (obviously, only metaphorically).

"I've been annoying everyone," he said, taking my mind off of the sky above me. "I haven't stopped talking about you since you fell. I kept telling everyone I knew you weren't dead until their ears bled."

"You really didn't think I was dead?"

"Not even for a second."

I could tell the sky was really taking a toll on him. His forehead was soaked with sweat, and his breath was shallowing, but he still smiled for me. Gods I missed him. I pressed my forehead back, and there was some kind of _sizzle _as our connection came back full force. I could see inside his head again, his love for me reaching out to me.

_Percy?_ I thought.

His smile widened. _Cam!_

We both started laughing in glee.

Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lighting still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "We'll see, my old friend."

Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back towards us.

_She's going to trick him into taking back the sky!_ I thought.

_How? _Percy asked. _He won't willingly take it._

_I have a plan,_ Artemis said in our heads. _Get ready._

"You fight well for a girl," Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. I saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.

I could feel Percy's panic. Neither one of us could see where Zoe had landed. Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.

As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backwards, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. I saw him coming down on top of me and I realized what would happen. _Ready, _I asked Percy. He nodded. Both of us loosened our grip on the sky, and as Atlas slammed into us, didn't try to hold on. Percy wrapped his arms around me and we started to roll away.

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.

_"Noooo!_" He bellowed so hard it took the mountain. _"Not again!"_

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Percy and I lay on our back, panting, dazed from pain. He reached out and took my hand with a groan. "That really sucked."

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but I could hear fear in his voice.

Thalia trembled with fury.

Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"

In my daze, I realized that Artemis was no longer with us. She had run off toward the black rocks where her hunter had fallen.

"We'll bring him back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He…he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"

Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.

"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.

We rushed to the cliff's edge. Below us, the army from the _Princess Andromeda _had stopped in amazement. They were starting at Luke's broken form on the rocks. Despite how much I hated him, I couldn't stand to see it. I wanted to believe he was still alive, but a voice that suspiciously sounded just like Liz's told me there was just no way. The fall was fifty feet at least, and he wasn't moving.

One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"

Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Percy jumped up, pulling her back as a wave of javelins sailed over our heads. We ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed.

"Artemis!" I yelled.

The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still…

"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.

"Atlas poisoned her?" I asked.

"No," Percy said. "Not Atlas…Ladon."

Artemis showed us the wound in Zoe's side. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! Does anyone have any?"

No one moved. Grief hung in the air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. We might've met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" some man driving the plane called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Who the heck is he!?" I yelled over the plane engine.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

This shocked Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.

"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come. We must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

"That's…my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

"Your dad is awesome," I told her.

We didn't have much time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer I had ever seen. It landed next to us.

"Get in," Artemis said.

I helped Annabeth get Thalia on board as Percy helped Artemis with Zoe. She was wrapped in a blanket as soon as she was set down, and Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Percy murmured.

"Only cooler," I said.

Artemis took time to look back at us. "And where did you think that legend came from?"

Seeing us safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed us like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.

Behind us, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowed curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.

* * *

**Another chapter out, and within my two-week goal! I know a lot of you wanted it out in a week, but I just started a new job and I've had to adjust. So the next chapter should be out in two weeks. I'm really amazed at the response from the last chapter, it was amazing guys! I've never felt so much love X) Seriously, guys, it motivates me, and reminds me people actually do read this story, so thanks a ton!**

**Lots of love, my nerdletts. **


	26. Chapter 18

A FRIEND SAYS GOOD-BYE

* * *

**(Percy's Pov.)**

* * *

We landed at Crissy Field after nightfall.

As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and gave him a huge hug. "Dad! You flew…you shot…oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Her father blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle aged mortal, I suppose."

"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you _get _those?"

"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in Virginia, the last time you…left."

Annabeth looked down, embarrassed. I noticed Dr. Chase was very careful not to say _ran away._

"I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings," he continued. "Just a little experiment."

He said it like it was no big deal, but he had a gleam in his eye. I could understand all of a sudden why Athena, Goddess of Crafts and Wisdom, had taken a liking to him. He was an excellent mad scientist at heart.

"Dad," Annabeth faltered.

"Guys!" Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. She and Artemis were kneeling at Zoe's side, binding the huntress's wounds.

Annabeth, Cammie, and I ran over to help, but there wasn't much we could do. We had no ambrosia or nectar. No regular medicine would help. It was dark, but I could see that Zoe didn't look good. She was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hung around her was fading.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" I asked Artemis. "I mean…you're a goddess."

Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She tried to set her hand on Zoe's side, but Zoe gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.

"Have I…served thee well?" Zoe whispered.

"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."

But it that moment, I know it wasn't just the poison that was killing her. It was her father's final blow. Zoe had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway. She had chosen to save me, and Atlas's fury had broken her inside.

She saw Thalia, and took her hand.

"I am sorry we argued," Zoe said. "We could have been sisters."

"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoe murmured. She smiled weakly at me. Then her eyes slowly moved to my sister and Annabeth. "You both are strong and brave…you'd make great…" She stopped, and I knew why. I could see it in the way she closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to look at me. She wanted to say they'd make great hunters. But she also knew how much they meant to me—how much it would kill me if either of them did leave. So she didn't. Instead she said, "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"

I couldn't speak, but I brought out Riptide and put the pen in her hand. She grasped it contentedly. "You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like…like Hercules. I am honored that you carry this sword."

A shudder ran through her body.

"Zoe—" I said.

"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."

"Stars," Zoe repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.

Thalia lowered her head. Annabeth gulped down a sob, and her father put his hands on her shoulders. Cammie wrapped me in a hug, whispering soothing words to me as I cried. I pressed my face into her neck, soaking her with my tears. I looked back up and watched Artemis cup her hand above Zoe's mouth and speak several words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoe's body shimmered and disappeared.

Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.

For a moment I didn't see anything different. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."

* * *

It wasn't easy saying our good-byes. The thunder and lightning were still boiling over Mount Tamalpais in the north. Artemis was so upset she flickered with silver light. This made me nervous, because if she suddenly lost control and appeared in her fully divine form, we would disintegrate by looking at her.

"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."

The goddess set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right." She then gave Cammie a weak smile. "And you are stubborn beyond measure. It will no doubt get you in trouble, but I thank you all the same for what you did for me."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Cammie said sorrowfully.

Artemis nodded in thanks before looking quizzically at Thalia, as if she wasn't' sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her, and she held the goddess's eyes. I wasn't sure what passed between them, but Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to me.

"You did well," she said. "For a man."

I wanted to protest. But then I realized it was the first time she hadn't called me a boy.

"You remind me of my brother," she said. "Though, less flamboyant. Take care of your sister."

"Like your brother," I said, "it'll be my job for eternity."

She smiled at that, before mounting her chariot, which began to glow. We averted our eyes. There was a flash of silver, and the goddess was gone.

"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena."

Annabeth turned toward him. "Dad, I…I'm sorry that—"

"Shh." He hugged her. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you."

His voice was a little shaky, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.

Then I heard the whoosh of large wings. Four pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses, one pure black one, and one…chicken?

"Keaton!" Cammie called with a bright smile on her face as this fluffy, rooster-faced Pegasus came closer.

_Yo, boss! _

I turned and looked up at the pure black horse. "Blackjack!" I called.

_You manage to stay alive okay without me?_

"It was rough," I admitted.

_And you found the Queen,_ he said, swinging his head towards Cammie, who was stroking the rooster-horse. _I brought Guido and Porkpie with me._

_How ya doin? _The other two pegasi spoke in my mind.

_That weird one kept following us,_ Blackjack whispered to me, conspiratorially, sending suspicious glances at Keaton. _Real weird. Not much of a talker. _Blackjack checked out Dr. Chase and Annabeth. _Any of these goons you want us to stampede?_

"Nah," I said aloud. "These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast."

_No problem, _Blackjack said. _Except for the mortal over there. Hope he's not going._

I assured him Dr. Chase was not. The professor was staring openmouthed at the pegasi.

"Fascinating," he said. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"

Blackjack cocked his head. _Whaaat?"_

"Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea," Dr. Chase said, "the charge of the light brigade—"

"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted.

Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear. I know you must go."

He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. As she turned to climb aboard the Pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, "Annabeth. I know…I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please, remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."

Annabeth didn't answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it. He raised his hand in a sad farewell and trudged away across the dark field.

I walked Blackjack over to Cammie and Keaton, who were still conversing. Or, more accurately, Cammie was talking at Keaton, who nodded back. "So, are you going to introduce us?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Cammie smiled. "Percy, this is Keaton, a hippalectryon. Apollo kind of called him down to help me out. He's a great listener. We've bonded. Keaton, this is my brother, Percy Jackson."

_Hello,_ he said to me, bowing his head a little.

_Oh, gods! _Blackjack yelled loudly, his front legs rearing up. _It talks!_

Cammie laughed. "Nice to see you again, Blackjack."

_You're highness, _he replied, in a hopefully joking manor.

"We've got to go," Annabeth called.

We all mounted our pegasi. Together we soared over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills. Soon San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind us, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.

* * *

Thalia was so exhausted she fell asleep on Porkpie's back. I knew she had to be really tried to sleep in the air, despite her fear of heights, but she didn't have much to worry about. Her Pegasus flew with ease, adjusting himself every once in a while so Thalia stayed safely on his back.

Annabeth, Cammie and I flew along, side by side.

"Cammie, what happened after the fall?" Annabeth asked. "I remember, you fell with me."

Cammie just shrugged nonchalantly, stroking Keaton's mane. "You know, the usual demigod stuff. Washed up on some Island in Wisconsin, spent some time there before getting ahold of camp. Then Josh and Roe showed up, and we made our way West. Ran into some monsters. You know, the usual."

"What kinds of monsters?"

"Two headed snake, a giant snake with Dorito horns, poisonous…" She stopped suddenly, her eyes drifting off for a second before shaking it off. Still, even as she smiled at Annabeth and me, I could see an underlying stiffness to her.

_Cammie? Poisonous what?_

_Poisoners. Obviously._

"How did you end up in Wisconsin?" I asked her, slightly upset by her lack of answers. "It's a fairly long way from Westover."

"Things happened," she chirped, still smiling, but rigidly.

"Cam—"

"It sure did shocked me when Roe and Josh showed up though," she continued, as though I hadn't spoken. "I called camp, asking after you, and found you had ran off without me. Rude. Then, the next day, they turn up at the little cabin I had been stay in, and off we ran, looking for you."

There seemed to be more too it then what she was saying, but when I started looking into her head, she locked me out of several places, only letting me see simple things. I tried asking her what was wrong, but she just sent me fake sunny, happy thoughts. I knew what that meant, and I knew she wasn't going to let it go up here, so I decided to grill her on it later.

My last thought to her though was, _was it bad?_

She looked over at me, frowning slightly, shaking her head. _It's not that easy to explain, _she said.

I nodded, excepting that.

"Your dad seems pretty cool," Cammie told Annabeth. "You know, with the way he drives planes in and shoots monsters, and stuff."

It was too dark to see her expression. She looked back, even though California was far behind us now.

"I guess so," she said. "We've been arguing for so many years."

"Yeah," I nodded. "You said."

"You think I was lying about that?" It sounded like a challenge, but a pretty halfhearted one, like she was asking it of herself.

"I didn't say you were lying. It's just…he seems okay. Your stepmom, too. Maybe they've, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last."

She hesitated. "They're still in San Francisco, Percy. I can't live so far away from camp."

I didn't want to ask my next question. I was scared to know the answer. But I asked it anyway. "So what are you going to do now?"

We flew over a town, an island of lights in the middle of the dark. It whisked by so fast we might've been in an airplane.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"You could always come to Gallagher," Cammie said.

Both me and Annabeth looked at her like she had grown another head. She just scoffed.

"Come on, Annabeth's brilliant!" Cammie said. "An amazing fighter, a natural born battle strategist. Dedicated and smart. Try and tell me she's not exceptional, Percy."

I stuttered and chocked. "Well, of c-course she's amazing, and cool, and smart, and-and-and—"

"I'm just saying," Cammie said, "if you really can't be that far, Gallagher is an option."

"I'll keep it in mind," Annabeth said, nodding to herself. She looked over at me. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"Hey, no big deal. We're friends."

"You didn't believe I was dead?"

I smiled. "Nope."

She hesitated. "Neither is Luke, you know. I mean…he isn't dead."

Cammie leaned forward, trying to catch Annabeth's eyes. "At that height, there is no way. Even if he did survive, he couldn't have walked away without major damage."

"He isn't dead," she insisted. "I know it." Her eyes bore into mine. "The same way you knew about me and Cammie."

That comparison didn't make me too happy.

The towns were zipping by faster now, island of light thicker together, until the whole landscape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before us—the lights of New York.

"Home sweet home," Cammie sighed.

_How's that for speedy, boss? _Blackjack bragged. _We get extra hay for breakfast or what?_

"You're the man, Blackjack," I told him. "Er, the horse, I mean."

"You don't believe me about Luke," Annabeth said, "but we'll see him again. He's in trouble, guys. He's under Kronos's spell."

"Whether or not we see him again, you'll be the only one happy he's alive," Cammie muttered under her breath, so thankfully I was the only one able to hear her.

I couldn't help but agree. It made me angry. How could she still have any feelings for that creep? How could she possibly make excuses for him? He deserved that fall. He deserved…okay, I'll say it. He deserved to die. Unlike Bianca. Unlike Zoe. Luke couldn't be alive. It wouldn't be fair.

"There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."

"What's started?" I asked.

Then I looked where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.

"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."

* * *

**Hey guys! So, I thought the chapter was going to be longer, but in reality I just accidentally counted two chapters instead of one. So yay! I got it done a lot sooner than expected! And then I was thinking, 'hey, it's thanksgiving weekend! Why don't I show my readers how thankful I am for them by giving them the chapter earlier than expected, instead of waiting till Sunday?' So, yay, it's out! I hope you have a fantastic thanksgiving, or if you don't celebrate it, just another fantastic Thursday without turkey and pie. **

**In other news, we have three more chapters to go till the end! And since two of them are short looking, they might come out a lot faster! Might. I just jinxed myself, didn't I?**

**So, I wanted to thank some reviews of mine, because you're words always make me really happy and make me want to write, so they deserve a shout-out. So to reply to those from the last two chapters:**

**To _Engineer4Ever_, always amazing. If there are any Harry Potter fans out there, defiantly check out Engineer4Ever's Percy Jackson-Harry Potter crossovers. You will not be disappointed. **

**To _Lady Loyal, _a thousand thankyous. Dropping everything to read a new update is something I do all the time, so knowing I do that to others is a huge complement.**

**To _superheronerd99_, I'm glad to hear from my number one fan! I don't know how far I'm going with this adaption, but you can count on me finishing the Last Olympian. **

**To _FireGoddess101_, thank you for still loving Cammie!**

**To _awesomegirl3362_, don't die! Updates are coming! **

**Sorry if I missed anyone, just know I love and appreciate all of you guys!**

**So I hope you liked it, and have a great week. Lots of love my nerdletts! **


	27. Chapter 19

THE GODS VOTE HOW TO KILL US

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

Flying was bad enough for a child of Poseidon, but flying straight up to Zeus's palace, with thunder and lightning swirling around it, was even worse.

We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. I'd only been there once before, traveling by elevator up to the secret six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building. This time, if it was possible, Olympus amazed me even more.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Our pegasi—and singular hippalectryon—set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even thing to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

_Good luck, _blackjack said.

_May the gods favor you living, _Keaton added, with a nod.

"Thank you," I said, the urge to puke raising. For some reason, there was a sense of doom inside me. All the gods in one place at once was a little nerve-racking, I guess. Any of them could blast us into dust, and I knew a few of them who would like to.

_Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabin for my stable?_

Percy looked slightly betrayed. Keaton cawed, and pecked at the black horse.

_Okay! I'm sorry, _Blackjack apologized. _It was just a thought._

Blackjack, Keaton, and the two other pegasi flew off, leaving Thalia, Annabeth, Percy and me alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

* * *

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and I'm telling you, if you've ever had a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on you at once…Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when I noticed my friend Grover and that cow-snake creature, Bessie.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing her—_his, _Percy quickly corrected me—tail around and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus' throne, as if he'd just been giving a report but when he saw us, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run toward us, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

I looked up at my father, who stared back down at me. Neither of us seemed to really know what to look like. Nervous, upset, furious, neutral…After our last encounter, I just didn't know. He was wearing his beach shorts, Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. His face seemed tanner in the light, and his dark beard seemed to have grown some. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly with a smile. He nodded slightly, as if to say he was glad to see me again. At least, that's what I hoped that meant.

Grover hugged me tight, sniffling. "I thought you were dead," he cried. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know…"

"It's okay," I said, hugging him back. "I understand."

Grover suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Percy, grasping his arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" my brother asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked towards us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship _Princess Andromeda _and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…"

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great survice. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, my father, and next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes winked at me and Percy. He was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had earbuds in, so I wasn't sure he was even listening, but be gave us a thumbs-up. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at me while he sharpened a knife.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was this unbelievably gorgeous woman. I can't even describe her, she was so stunning. I noticed her smile at Percy, who blushed. I couldn't blame him, I'd blush if she smiled at me too. She had to be the goddess Aphrodite.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in the room, it was a miracle the whole palace didn't' blow apart.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: _"Heroes win laurels—"_

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia, Percy and me. "These three are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my children to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

Thalia blushed. She studied the floor. I knew how she felt. I'd hardly ever talked to my father—well, more than Percy had, but still. To be complimented by someone who was such a huge part of you, yet you didn't even know…it had to be kind of strange.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other three.

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods…such as Thalia, Percy, and Cameron…are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point.

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?

Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are not better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me _sis! _I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?'

A lot of nodding heads.

"Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?" Percy cried.

I looked to the serpent-horse, who "mooooo"ed in protest.

Our father frowned at Percy. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"Dad," Percy said, "he's just a sea creature. A really _nice _sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," I insisted. I looked at Zeus. I probably should have been afraid of him, but I stared him right in the eye. "Controlling the prophecies never works. I've been told that multiple times already."

"Besides," Percy said, "the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as…as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they _might _do. It's wrong!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as he spoke in his ear.

A feeling of panic seized me, and I realized it was coming from Percy. I just didn't understand why. "Annabeth," he said under his breath. "Don't."

She frowned at him. "What?"

"Look, I need to tell you something," he continued. "I couldn't stand it if…I don't want you to—"

"Percy?" she said. "You look like you're going to be sick."

I put my hand to his forehead, before he swatted it away. "You feel warm," I told him. "Percy, calm down."

"I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."

"No," I murmured.

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Stunned silence filled the room. I stared at Thalia, unable to comprehend what I just heard. Annabeth smiled, squeezing her hand, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"I will," Thalia said firmly.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"

"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."

She knelt before the goddess and began to take an oath. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men…"

* * *

Afterward, Thalia did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge. She came over to Percy, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, gave him a big hug.

Percy blushed.

When she pulled away and gripped his shoulders, Percy said, "Um…aren't you supposed to not to that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"

"I'm honoring a friend," she corrected. "I _must _join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since…since Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."

"Great," he muttered.

"I'm proud to be your friend."

I sniffled a bit before composing myself. "Okay, cus, come over here and honor me," I said, holding out my arms to her.

She hugged me, then Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. then she even hugged Grover, who looked ready to pass out, like somebody had just given him an all-you-can-eat enchilada coupon.

Then Thalia went to stand by Artemis's side.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said.

"This boy and his sister are still dangerous," Ares warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare them—"

"No." I looked around at all the gods. "Please. Keep the Ophiotarus safe. My dad can hid him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"We're only fourteen," Percy said. "If this prophecy is about me, or my sister, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or them."

"But one could argue it's good strategy to stay on their good sides," I blurted out. "Threatening to decimate us every other sentence. Maybe you could treat us a little better and we'll be less likely to glance over at the other side. I mean, we're not planning to right now, because I kind of like the world I live in, but at least they have plans to keep us alive. I'm just saying, we're really not threats at the moment, and we would only become less of a threat if you stopped wanting to kill us."

Athena gave me an unimpressed look.

My father stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. and I _can _help it."

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, water light. "I will vouch for them, and the safty of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

Zeus's lightning bold appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. My children will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

Zeus thought about this. "All in favor?"

To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Even Dionysus, who muttered something like "I can't lose my card playing partner" to the gods next to him. Ares and Athena, not surprisingly, abstained. Everyone else though…

"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes…I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

* * *

There are parties, and then there are huge, major, blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties. If you ever get the choice, go for the Olympian.

The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up.

Dionysus went around growing refreshments stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, I assumed. If memory from Chiron's class served me right, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for the first time. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted. Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

Gods kept coming over to congratulate Percy and me. Thankfully they had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample partygoers under their feet. Hermes started chatting with us, and he was so cheerful it was hard to tell him what had happened to his least-favorite son, Luke, but before either one of us could even get up the courage, Hermes got a call on his caduceus and walked away.

Apollo told Percy he could drive his sun chariot any time, and told me that if I ever wanted archery lessons—

"Thanks," I told him. "But I'm really not that good at archery. My friend, Liz though, she's nearly killed me six times by simply picking up the bow. If you could, I don't know, bless her or something, that would be swell."

Apollo considered. "Target practice from the chariot as we fly over the U.S… Best fun there is! And being a mortal and all, she'd be even more impressed."

I tried to tell him that maybe that wasn't the greatest idea—Lizzy gets a bit queasy around heights—but he saw something and ran off. Percy gave me a quizzical look. "When did you meet Apollo?"

"Right before going to Mt. Tam," I said. "He let me right Keaton to the top."

Percy accepted the answer, turning his head away. He was looking around as well, and a smile grew on my face when I realized what he was searching for.

Using my hip, I bumped him. He looked down at me, amused. "Go get her, Tiger," I told him.

"Who?" he asked, confused.

"Annabeth," I sang. "I know you're looking for her."

He seemed reluctant. "You've been gone, though," he said. "And I don't want to leave you alone…"

"She's been gone, too," I said. "And I'm a tuff girl. I'll beat up all these immortals if need be. Go, find Annabeth, and drag her back here so I can talk to her too."

Percy smiled, giving me a kiss on the cheek before running off to find Annabeth. I became giddy, and couldn't stop giggling at how cute those two were.

"Are they serious?" a man's voice behind me asked.

I turned and found my father smiling at me.

I sent a small smirk back. "Both don't even realize they're a thing yet."

My father came closer. "You both have done well.

"We won't let you down," I told him. "I promise."

He nodded. I had trouble reading god's emotions, but I wondered if he had some doubts.

"Your friend Luke—"

"Not my friend."

"Your _former _friend Luke," Poseidon corrected. "He once promised things like that. He was Hermes's pride and joy. Just bear that in mind, Cammie. Even the bravest can fall."

"Luke fell pretty hard," I agreed. "He's dead."

Poseidon shook his head. "No, Cammie. He is not."

I stared at him. "What?"

"I believe Annabeth told you this. Luke still lives. I have seen it. His boat sails from San Francisco with the remains of Kronos even now. He will retreat and regroup before assaulting you again. I will do my best to destroy his boat with storms, but he is making alliances with my enemies, the older spirits of the ocean. They will fight to protect him."

"How can he be alive?" I said. "That fall should've killed him!"

Poseidon looked troubled. "I don't know, Cameron, but beware of him. He is more dangerous than ever. And the golden coffin is still with him, still growing in strength."

"What about Atlas?" I said. "What's to prevent him from escaping again? Couldn't he just force some giant or something to take the sky for him?"

My father snorted in derision. "If it were so easy, he would have escaped long ago. No, my daughter. The curse of the sky can only be forced upon a Titan, one of the children of Gaia and Ouranous. Anyone else must _choose _to take the burden of their own free will. Only a hero, someone with strength, a true heart, and great courage, would do such a thing. No one is Kronos's army would dare try to bear that weight, even upon pain of death."

"Luke did it," I said. "He let Atlas go. Then he tricked Annabeth into saving him and used her to convince Artemis to take the sky."

"Yes," Poseidon said. "Luke is…an interesting case."

I think he wanted to say more, but just then, Bessie started mooing from across the courtyard. Some demigods were playing with his water sphere, joyously pushing it back and forth over the top of the crowd.

"I'd better take care of that," Poseidon grumbled. "We can't have the Ophiotaurus tossed around like a beach ball."

"Unless he was a criminal, like Martin?" I asked. "Then you'd just make a sandwich."

He smiled to himself. "Be good," he told me. "We may not speak again for some time. Tell your brother I'm proud of him."

"Tell him yourself. He'd like to hear it from you."

I don't know if he heard me or not, because he just suddenly disappeared.

I was about to go find Grover or Thalia when another voice spoke. "Your father takes a great risk, you know."

I found myself face-to-face with a gray-eyed woman who looked so much like Annabeth I almost called her that.

"Athena." I wondered for a moment if she was going to strike me down despite the council's decision for what I had said in the council room.

She smiled dryly. "You are brave to have spoken out of turn the way you did. Some might look down at you with admiration."

"I have no filter," I blurted, further proving my point. "But doesn't mean I don't have a point."

"Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous."

"I know," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "I took a philosophy class in school, so I'm familiar with Plato's dislike for a voting system for that very same reason. It was the popular vote of the people of Athens who ultimately sentenced Socrates to death, but it was not a wise decision, which is where Plato's hate for democracy comes from. He believed democracy created the popular vote over the wise one, so he created the idea of the Philosopher's King."

Athena nodded, and I couldn't tell if the look on her face was impressed or unimpressed.

I cleared my throat before asking, "You never take risks then?"

She nodded. "I concede the point. You may perhaps be useful. And yet…your love for your friends may end you and your brother."

My eyebrows drew together.

"You are obviously not as stupid as you may come off to be some times. Kronos knows your flaw, even if you do not. He knows how to study his enemies. Think, Cameron. How has he manipulated you? First your mother was taken from you. Then your best friend, Grover. When you and my daughter fell, your brother was inconsolable. In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you and your brother into Kronos's traps. Your loyalty may be your downfall. Neither of you know when to cut your losses."

"Those we might lose usually make up our world," I said, balling my fists. "And there is nothing wrong with wanting to save my friends.

"The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation," she said. "Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom…that is hard indeed."

I wanted to argue, but this was the goddess of wisdom. "Well, as John Stewart Mill says, an opinion isn't complete without both sides of the argument are heard. Otherwise it's just ignorance."

"Keep up your studies," Athena advised. "It might serve you well in the next two years. I hope the Council's decision proves wise. But I will be watching, Cameron Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter, and I approve even less of your brother's interest in her. I do not think it wise for either of them. and should you begin to waver in your loyalties…"

She fixed me with her cold gray stare, and I realized what a terrible enemy Athena would make, ten times worse than Ares. Athena would never give up. She would never do something rash or stupid just because she hated you, and if she made a plan to destroy you, it would not fail.

It took me a moment to realize she had left, because I still felt her stare on me.

"Gods, I thought she'd never leave!"

What was it with gods sneaking up behind me today?

This time, I faced the Goddess of love and beauty, and it left me speechless.

"Cameron Jackson," she smiled. "My, my, you are a gem. So much more beautiful than foretold. Now if only you didn't try and pursue that career where you blend in with everybody, 'cause it's really just wasting your beauty."

"Uh…t-thank you."

"You are so welcome, dear. But seriously, you need to spend more time with my daughter Dee-Dee, because she'll fix you right up, you'll see."

"I, uhhh…I'll try?"

"You _will._"

"Yes, yes I will."

In the face of my enemies, I would snark. Talking to the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle strategy, I would express my opposing opinion. To the goddess of great looks, I got tongue tided.

"I have to tell you," she said, staring me right into the eye, like she was checking her reflection in them. "I'm very glad you and your brother were spared. You both are to live such _amazing _love stories."

"What are you talking about."

"Well him and Annabeth, obviously," the goddess laughed.

I nodded. "Well, yeah, of course them, but me?"

She became slightly giddy, like I had seen Dee-Dee do a thousand times when she was about to share a secret with me about some cute boy. "Oh, yes. Yours is going to be _amazing. _Your emotions will be tugged every which way, you'll be unable to trust him, but you can't help it because you _do. _And he'll rival you in so many ways. So much _hate! _But you know the saying, there's a fine line between hate and love." She gripped my arm. "You guys just dance over that line."

"Are you talking about Josh?" I asked, slightly hopeful.

But Aphrodite just scoffed. "As if. You two won't last long together, so you might as well forget him. I mean, maybe a little bit of love sprinkled on him in his sleep pushed him to find you so he could protect you, but really it won't amount to much else."

"Did…did you _trick _Josh into liking me?" I asked, feeling betrayed, like this gorgeous woman was a dear friend.

"I never said that," she denied, sticking her perfect nose in the air. "I very well could have been metaphorical." She was so beautiful, I believed her. "Either way, forget the Hermes kid, and save yourself for your soulmate."

I tried to say more, but she placed a finger on my lip to hush me, which I obediently complied to. With one last stunning smile, she turned and galloped away to her lover.

I didn't know what to make of that encounter as her beauty spell wore off. I turned to find Percy and Annabeth dancing slowly. Both of them were smiling, and I decided not to pry. Instead I looked down at New York, and began imagining this boy I was bound to love and hate.

* * *

**Hey guys! So I hope you enjoyed. There were some implications in this chapter *wink wink*. I'm sure you all know who Aphrodite is talking about. And sorry about all that philosophy stuff there at the end. I'm taking a philosophy class right now, and it just all applied to that conversation, so I had to add it in. Interesting people. **

**Okay, it's late and I need my sleeps. Can't oversleep again. Don't have time for shoutouts to my reviewers, so look for them next time. Love you all my Nerdletts.**


	28. Chapter 20

I GET A NEW ENEMY FOR CHRISTMAS

* * *

**(Percy's Pov)**

* * *

Before we left Olympus, I pulled Cammie aside to make a few calls. It wasn't easy, but I finally found a quiet fountain in a corner garden and sent an Iris-message to our brother, Tyson, under the sea. He was so happy Cammie was there this time he knocked over a stack of swords with his elbows clapping. We told him about both of our adventures, and I told him about Bessie—he wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpent—and I assured him that Annabeth was safe. Finally I got around to explaining how the shield he'd made me last summer had been damaged in the manticore attack.

"Yay!" Tyson said. "That means it was good! It saved your life!"

"It sure did, big guy," I said. "But now it's ruined."

"Not ruined!" Tyson promised. "I will visit and fix it next summer."

The idea picked me up instantly. Cammie squealed happily. "You're coming back?" she asked excitedly. "For real? The whole summer?"

"Yes! I have made two thousand seven hundred and forty-one magic swords," Tyson said proudly, showing us the newest blade. "The boss says 'good work'! He will let me take the whole summer off. I will visit camp!"

We talked for a while about war preparations and our dad's fight with the old sea gods, and all the cool things we could do together next summer, but then Tyson's boss started yelling at him and he had to get back to work.

I dug out my last golden drachma and made one more Iris-message.

"Sally Jackson," I said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

The mist shimmered, and there was our mom at our kitchen table, laughing and holding hands with her fried Mr. Blowfish.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Cammie whispered to me.

Mom must have heard because she looked up right then and saw us. Her eyes got wide. She let go of Mr. Blowfish's hand real quick. "Oh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?"

"Sure, Sally. No problem."

He left the room, and instantly my mom leaned toward the Iris-message. "My babies! Are you all right?"

"Oh, we're fine," Cammie said overly sweetly. "But you? How are _you?_"

She pursed her lips, but I could still see the blush. "I'm fine. But that's not important. Tell me what's happened!"

We both filled her in as best we could, without letting her know Cammie had nearly fallen to her death. We both agreed that mom had enough horror stories about our quests to last a life time. She sighed with relief when she heard that Annabeth was safe.

"I knew you could do it!" she said. "I'm so proud of you two."

"Well, Percy and I'd better let you get back to your homework," Cammie winked. "Wouldn't want to keep _homework _waiting."

"Guys, I…Paul and I—"

"Mom," I interrupted. "Are you happy?"

The question seemed to take her by surprise. She thought for a moment. "Yes. I really am. Being around him makes me happy."

"Then it's cool. Seriously. Don't worry about us."

The funny thing was, I meant it. Considering the quest I'd just had, and nearly losing both my sister and my best friend, maybe I should have been more worried for my mom. I'd seen just how mean people could be to each other, like Hercules was to Zoe Nightshade, like Luke was to Thalia. I'd met Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, in person, and her powers had scared me worse than Ares. But seeing my mother laughing and smiling, after all the years she'd suffered with our nasty ex-stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, I couldn't help feeling happy for her.

"You promise not to call him Mr. Blowfish?" she asked.

Cammie snickered. "Blowfish…"

I elbowed her. "Not to his face."

"Sally?" Mr. Blofis called from our living room. "You need the green binder or the red one?"

"I'd better go," she told us. "Cammie, you'll come home for Christmas before heading back to Gallagher?"

"Of course," Cammie said. "I'm sure you got me a few more presents to open up."

Our mom smiled. "I'll see you then."

She waved her hand across the mist.

Cammie turned to me. "So, we'll be keeping an eye on this Mr. Blowfish guy, right?"

I nodded. "Oh, no doubt.

* * *

Compared to Mount Olympus, Manhattan was quiet. Friday before Christmas, but it was early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, the many-eyed security chief, picking up Annabeth, Grover, Cammie, and me at the Empire State Building and ferried us back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressways was almost deserted.

Thing had calmed down enough on the ride back that Cammie started telling me her full journey in complete detail through our bond. I don't think she wanted everyone to know yet. From the demon sea dogs to two headed snake creature, she gave me the smallest of details. Like how scared she was of the Telchine, and how Damon still being alive made her want to puke. Then dad had come to save her with his merman army, and they had lunch…I honestly couldn't help but feel jealous. She got to spend more time with him then me, and she hated him. But when I caught glimpses of her thoughts on him, they weren't as hateful as before. They weren't happy or adoring, but they seemed a lot more peaceful.

As we trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, I half expected to see Thalia there, waiting for us. But she wasn't. She was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure.

Chiron greeted us at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about our strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest expresso bar was.

Annabeth, Cam, and I sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers-Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. I knew she must've had a difficult quest, because she didn't even try to pulverize me. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," she mumbled uneasily. "_Bad _news."

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forces cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth, and found your sister!"

Annabeth smiled at me gratefully, and Cam elbowed me cheekily as I looked away, heat on my cheeks.

For some strange reason, I found myself thinking about Hoover Dam, and the odd mortal girl I'd run into there, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I didn't know why, but her annoying comments kept coming back to me. _Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?_ I was only alive because so many people had helped me, even a random mortal girl like that. I'd never even explained to her who I was.

"Luke is alive," I said. "Annabeth was right."

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"

I tried not to feel annoyed by her interest. "I talked with our dad," Cammie said, squeezing my hand. She proceeded to tell us about their conversation, again, making me feel jealous about how close they were getting without me.

_Don't be jealous, _Cammie told me. _You were with Annabeth. Didn't want to interrupt._

"Well," Annabeth said, before I could reply, shifting uncomfortably. "If the final battle does come when Percy and Cammie turn sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."

I had a feeling that when she said "figure something out," she meant "get Luke to change his ways," which annoyed me even more.

"Are they both going to be part of the prophecy?" Connor asked.

Chiron shook his head. "The prophecy speaks of one demigod, not two."

"So unless Percy dies before then," my sister said, "he's the prophecy child."

"Joy," I muttered, rubbing my face.

"I can always relieve you of the burden," Clarisse offered.

"That's sweet, but there's no need."

Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I mean…he _was _really old, but he usually didn't look it.

"Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Even if you are not, that means Cammie is in line behind you. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know?" I asked. "Why would he care about camp?"

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous…we must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"

There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold.

He was smiling, but he looked around anxiously. "Hey! Where's…where's my sister?"

Dead silence. I stared at Chiron. I couldn't believe nobody had told him yet. And then I realized why. They'd been waiting for us to appear, to tell Nico in person.

"Hey, you're that girl from Westover!" Nico said, pointing at Cammie. "You're Percy's sister!"

Cammie forced a smile, and gave a small wave. "Hi, Nico. It's…nice to see you again."

I had to tell him. I had to tell him his sister was dead.

_Do you want me to come with you?_ Cam asked. _You don't have to do it alone._

_I don't want to do this at all,_ I admitted. _But I owe it to Bianca._

"Where is she?" Nico asked. "Where's my sister?"

"Hey, Nico." I got up from my chair. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."

* * *

He took the news in silence, which somehow made it worse. I kept talking, trying to explain how it had happened, how Bianca had sacrificed herself to save the quest. But I felt like I was only making things worse.

"She wanted you to have this." I brought out the little god figurine Bianca had found in the junkyard. Nico held it in his palm and stared at it.

We were standing at the dining pavilion, just where we'd last spoken before I went on the quest. The wind was bitter cold, even with the camp's magical weather protection. Snow fell lightly against the marble steps. I figured outside the camp borders, there must be a blizzard happening.

"You promised you would protect her," Nico said.

He might as well have stabbed me with a rusty dagger. It would've hurt less than reminding me of my promise.

"Nico," I said. "I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she—"

"You promised!"

He glared at me, his eyes rimmed with red. He closed his small fist around the god statue.

"I shouldn't have trusted you." His voice broke. "You lied to me. My nightmares were right!"

"Wait. What nightmares?"

He flung the god statue to the ground. It clattered across the icy marble. "I hate you!"

"She might be alive," I said desperately. "I don't know for sure—"

"She's dead." He closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage. "I should've known it earlier. She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."

"What do you mean, you can feel it?"

Before he could answer, I heard a new sound behind me. A hissing, clattering noise I recognized all too well.

I drew my sword and Nico gasped. I whirled and found myself facing four skeleton warriors. They grinned fleshless grins and advanced with swords drawn. I wasn't sure how they'd made it inside the camp, but it didn't matter. I'd never get help in time.

"You're trying to kill me!" Nico screamed. "You brought these…these things?"

"No! I mean, yes, they followed me, but _no! _Nico, run. They can't be destroyed."

"I don't trust you!"

_Percy, I heard Nico scream, is everything okay?_

The first skeleton charged. I knocked aside its blade, but the other three kept coming. I sliced one in half, but immediately it began to knit back together. I knocked another's head off but it just kept fighting.

"Run, Nico!" I yelled. "Get help!"

_Cammie, there are monsters. There are monsters in camp._

_What? How?! How could they have gotten in? I'll be there soon._

"No!" Nico yelled. He pressed his hands to his ear.

I couldn't fight four at once, not if they wouldn't die. I slashed, whirled, blocked, jabbed, but they just kept advancing. It was only a matter of seconds before the zombies overpowered me.

"No!" Nico shouted louder. "_Go away!_"

_Percy, I heard Nico scream. Is he hurt?_

I couldn't answer. The ground beneath me rumbled. The skeletons froze. I rolled out of the way just as a crack opened at the feet of the four warriors. The ground ripped apart like a snapping mouth. Flames erupted from the fissure, and the earth swallowed the skeletons in one loud _CRUNCH!_

Silence.

In the place where the skeletons had stood, a twenty-food-long scar wove across the marble floor of the pavilion. Otherwise there was no sign of the warriors.

Awestruck, I looked to Nico. "How did you—"

"Go away!" he yelled. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

The ground didn't swallow _me _up, but Nico ran down the steps, heading toward the woods. I started to follow but slipped and fell to the icy steps. When I got up, I noticed what I'd slipped on.

"Percy!"

I turned to see my sister and a bunch of armored campers running my way. Cam slid to the ground beside me, checking me over for injuries. "Are you okay? Where are the monsters?"

"I'm okay," I assured her. "I'm fine. The monsters are gone."

"Nico. Where's Nico?"

I looked to the woods. "He ran off…Cammie, he got rid of the monsters."

"What?" she asked. "How."

I pointed to the scar on the ground. "He opened the ground and they fell in."

She didn't seem to believe me at first, and took a moment to see what had happened through my eyes. While she did, I picked up the god statue Bianca had retrieved from the junkyard for Nico. The one I slipped on. _The only statue he didn't have, _Bianca had said. A last gift from his sister.

I stared at it with dread, because now I understood why the face looked familiar. I'd seen it before.

"How on earth could he do that?" Cammie asked, unaware of what I had just realized. I showed her the statue. The statue of Hades, Lord of the Dead.

"He's a son of Hades."

* * *

Annabeth, Grover, and Cammie helped me search the woods for hours, but there was no sign of Nico di Angelo.

"We have to tell Chiron," Annabeth said, out of breath.

"No," I said.

They all stared at me.

"Um," Grover said nervously. "What do you mean…no?"

I was still trying to figure out why I'd said that, but the words spilled out of me. "We can't let anyone know. I don't think anyone realizes that Nico is a—"

"A son of Hades," Annabeth said. "Percy, do you have _any idea _how serious this is? Even Hades broke the oath! This is horrible!"

"I don't think so," I said. "I don't think Hades broke the oath."

"What are you thinking here, bro?" Cammie asked, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed.

"He's their dad," I said. "But Bianca and Nico have been out of commission for a long time, since even before World War II."

"The Lotus Casino!" Grover said, and he told Annabeth and Cam about the conversations we'd had with Bianca on the quest. "She and Nico were stuck there for decades. They were born before the oath was made."

I nodded.

"But how did they get out?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Bianca said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to Westover Hall. I don't know who that could've been, or why. Maybe it's part of this Great Stirring thing. I don't think Nico understands who he is. But we can't go telling anyone. Not even Chiron. If the Olympians find out—"

"They'll start fighting one another again," Annabeth said.

"Nico's out there on his own with no back up," Cammie said. "They find out, they'll send monsters after him. He won't stand a chance."

Grover looked worried. "But you can't hide things from the gods. Not forever."

"I don't need forever," I said. "Just two years. Until I'm sixteen."

Annabeth paled. "But, Percy, this means the prophecy might _not _be about you, or Cammie. It might be about Nico. We have to—"

"No," I said. "I choose the prophecy. It will be about me."

"Why are you saying that?" she cried. "You want to be responsible for the whole world?"

It was the last thing I wanted, but I didn't say that. I knew I had to step up and claim it.

"I can't let Nico be in any more danger," I said. "I owe that much to his sister. I…I let them both down. I'm not going to let that poor kid suffer any more."

"The poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead," Grover reminded me.

"Let's just be glad the weight of the world rests on the shoulders of a very forgiving person," Cammie said neutrally. I could tell she wasn't happy about it, but she accepted it.

"Maybe we can find him," I said. "We can convince him it's okay, hide him someplace safe."

"I'll keep my eyes open for Nico," Cammie said. "You know, hack some security cameras. Maybe we'll get lucky and get a glimpse at him."

Annabeth shivered. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke won't," I said. "I'll make sure he's got other things to worry about. Namely, me."

* * *

I wasn't sure Chiron believed the story we told him. I think he could tell I was holding something back about Nico's disappearance, but in the end, he accepted it. Unfortunately, Nico wasn't the first half-blood to disappear.

"So young," Chiron sighed, his hands on the rail of the front porch. "Alas, I hope he was eaten by monsters. Much better than being recruited into the Titans' army."

That idea made me really uneasy. I almost changed my mind about telling Chiron, but I didn't.

"You really think the first attack will be here?" I asked.

Chiron started at the snow falling on the hills. I could see smoke from the dragon guardian at the pine tree, the glitter of the distant Fleece.

"It will not be until summer, at least," Chiron said. "This winter will be hard…the hardest for many centuries. It's best that you go home to the city; try to keep your mind on school. And rest. You will need rest."

I looked at Annabeth. "What about you?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I'm going to try San Francisco after all. Maybe I can keep an eye on Mount Tam, make sure the Titans don't try anything else."

"You'll send an Iris-message if anything goes wrong?"

She nodded. "But I think Chiron's right. It won't be until the summer. Luke will need time to regain his strength."

"I think everyone's in need of a nap," Cammie said, yawning.

I didn't like the idea of waiting. Then again, next August I would be turning fifteen. So close to sixteen I didn't want to think about it.

"All right," I said. "Just take care of yourself. And no crazy stunts in the Sopwith Camel."

She smiled tentatively. "Deal. And, Percy—"

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by Grover, who stumbled out of the Big House, tripping over tin cans. His face was haggard and pale, like he'd seen a specter.

"He spoke!" Grover cried.

"Calm down, my young satyr," Chiron said, frowning. "What is the matter?"

"I…I was playing music in the parlor," he stammered, "and drinking coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! And he spoke in my mind!"

"Who?" Cammie demanded.

"Pan!" Grover wailed. "The Lord of the Wild himself! I heard him! I have to…I have to find a suitcase."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said. "What did he say?"

Grover stared her. "Just three words. He said, _'I await you.'_"

* * *

**So there is one more chapter, and that'll be the end! Just tying up some loose ends with Cammie at Gallagher. Thanks for all the support, and I hope you enjoyed. I'll try updating the one-shots fic with everything that happens between this instalment and the next, because _a lot _happens and it's very important to the story. So I hope you stay tune.**

**Night nerdletts.**


	29. Chapter 21

MY OTHER LIFE GETS COMPLICATED

* * *

**(Cammie's Pov.)**

* * *

I let out an exhausted huff as I let my bags drop to my bed. Christmas break was over and I had just returned to Gallagher for the second semester. After Grover told us about Pan's message, Percy and I high tailed it out of camp. Figuring another quest was brewing, we left as soon as possible, wanting to be home for Christmas. So we packed our things and called our mom for a ride. Josh was at camp (Roe was with her brother), having wanted to make sure I got back in one piece. He waited with us at the top of the hill for his ride. When mom did finally show up, Josh dragged me aside, and pulled me in for a soft kiss. It was sweet, and gentle, and tasted like bubblegum. It was dreamy.

Until Percy coughed loudly, queuing us to step apart. Josh pecked me one last time on the cheek, and I stumbled away, blushing. Percy had a deep, angry frown on his face as we walked to the car.

"Shut up," I had said.

"Boys are gross," he informed me. "Really gross. They don't wash their hands, and they pick their nose, and wrestle in mud. You know that, right?"

"You're a dummy," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

He let it drop, surprisingly. There was still a frown on his face, but he didn't seem very worried.

I glared at him suspiciously. "You let that go too easily," I said.

"I have bigger things to worry about," he sighed to himself.

"Like Pan?"

His eyes widened like he'd just remembered. "Uh…yeah."

Coming back to the present, I sigh, going to sit down by the window. I stared through the wavy glass, wrapping my arms around my knees. The red velvet curtains were drawn around the tiny alcove, and I was enveloped by an odd sense of peace, knowing that in twenty minutes, the halls were going to be crowded; music was going to be blaring; and I was going to go from being an orphaned girl (my cover here at Gallagher. I liked to keep my family out of this world) to one of a hundred sisters, so I knew to savor the silence while it lasted. Then, as if to prove my point, a loud blast and the smell of burning hair came floating up the main stairs from the second-floor Hall of History, followed by Professor Buckingham's distinguished voice crying, "Girls! I told you in the beginning of the year! Don't touch that!" The smell got worse, and one of the eighth graders was probably still on fire, because Professor Buckingham yelled, "Stand still. Stand still, I say!"

Then Professor Buckingham said some French swear words that the eighth graders probably didn't understand, and wouldn't for three semesters, and I remembered when I had first tried to grab Gillian Gallagher's sword, the one used to slay the guy who was going to kill Abraham Lincoln—the first guy, that is. The one you never hear about.

But what the newbies aren't told on their campus tour is that Gilly's sword is charged with enough electricity to…well…light your hair on fire. It was a sensation I never wanted to feel again.

But seriously, I just love this school.

* * *

I think our room used to be an attic, once upon a time. It has these cool dormers and oddly shaped windows and lots of little nooks and crannies, where a girl can sit with her back against the wall and listen to the thundering feet and squeals of hello that you normally hear at a boarding school when break is over and the students return (maybe a little less standard when the hellos are spoken in Portuguese and Farsi). Out in the hall, Kim Lee was talking about her holiday in Singapore; and Tina Walters was declaring that "Cairo was super cool. Johannesburg—not so much," which is exactly what Rachel Morgan—the headmistress—had said when I'd sort of complained to her about how Tina's parents were taking her somewhere cool over Christmas break, where as I was going to be doing nothing—how wrong was I?

"Hey, where's Cammie?" Tina asked, but I wasn't about to leave my room until I could finish my cover story and sow it into my brain, memorizing every detail. Seventy percent of these girls were daughters of current or former government operatives—aka, spies. Lying to them wouldn't be easy.

I was just putting the finishing details on my story (spent break with a former friend of my deceased mother, experimenting with average household items that can be used as weapons and accidentally decapitated a snowman—"who knew knitting needles could do that kind of damage?" I'd say) when I heard the distinctive thud of luggage crashing into a wall and a soft, Southern, "Oh, Cammie…come out, come out, wherever you are."

I pulled the curtain away from the alcove, peering out at Liz posing in the doorway, trying to look like Miss Alabama, but bearing a greater resemblance to a toothpick in capri pants and flip-flops.

She smiled and said, "Did you miss me?"

I did miss her, and I would have ran over to hug her, had she not tried to fling her suitcase onto the bed, but missed and ended up knocking over a bookcase, demolishing my stereo and flattening a perfectly-scaled replica of DNA that she'd made out of papier-mache in kindergarten.

"Oopsy daisy," Liz said, throwing her hand to her mouth.

Sure, she knows cuss words in fourteen different languages, but when faced with a minor catastrophe, Liz says _oopsy daisy._

I laughed, not even upset about my broken stereo mom had gotten for my birthday. Getting up, and went to hug my friend. "Yes, Lizzy, I missed you."

* * *

At six thirty exactly, we were in our uniforms, sliding our hands over the smooth mahogany banisters, and descending down the staircases that spiral gracefully to the foyer floor. Everyone was laughing (turns out my knitting needle story was a big hit), but Liz and I kept looking toward the door in the center of the atrium below.

"Maybe there was trouble with the plane?" Liz whispered. "Or customs? Or…I'm sure she's just late."

I nodded and continued glancing down at the foyer as if, on cue, Bex was going to burst through the doors. But they stayed closed, and Liz's voice got squeakier as she asked, "Did you hear from her? I mean, I did, but something could have changed, couldn't it?"

"I heard from her once," I told her. "She's fine Lizzy, don't worry."

"Oh my gosh, what if she dropped out?" Liz cranked up the worry in her voice. "Did she get _kicked _out?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well…" she said, stumbling over the obvious, "Bex always has been kind of _rules-optional._" Liz shrugged, and, sadly, I couldn't disagree. "And why else would she be late? Gallagher Girls are never late! Cammie, you know something, don't you? You've got to know _something!_"

Times like this are when it's no fun being the headmistress's favorite, because A) it's totally annoying when people think I'm in a loop I'm not in, and B) people always assume I'm in partnership with the staff, which really I'm not. Sure, I have private dinners with Rachel on Sunday nights, and _sometimes _she leaves me alone in her office for five seconds, but that's it.

To be honest, though, I love the way Rachel kind of treats me differently. She was always momming me, making sure I ate enough, asking about my grades in a non-headmistress way, sometimes getting me little presents, just to make me feel better when I looked down. Being without mom and Percy was hard. But Rachel made it easier.

I looked back down at the front doors, then turned to Liz. "I bet she's just late," I said, praying that there would be a pop quiz over supper (nothing distracts Liz faster than a pop quiz.)

As we approached the massive, open doors of the grand Hall, where Gilly Gallagher supposedly poisoned a man at her own cotillion, I involuntarily glanced up at the electronic screen that read "English—American" even though I knew we always talked in our own language and accents when we got back from break. Our mealtime conversations wouldn't be taking place in "Chinese—Mandarin" for at least a week, I hoped.

We settled at our usual table in the Grand Hall, the one Vanessa (the demigod who got me this gig) had snuck to, and as I sat, a feeling of home settled in me. Even if New York was my home, and Camp Half-Blood too, Gallagher was just as much so.

Anna Fetterman squeezed onto the bench next to Liz and asked, "Have you seen it? Did you look?"

Anna was holding a blue slip of paper that instantly dissolves when you put it in your mouth. (Even though it _looks _like it will taste like cotton candy, it doesn't—trust me!) I don't know why they always put our class schedules on Evapopaper—probably so we can use up our stash of the bad-tasting kind and move on to the good stuff, like mint chocolate chip.

But Anna wasn't thinking about the Evapopaper flavor when she yelled, "We have Covert Operations this semester!" She sounded absolutely terrified, and I remembered that she was probably the only Gallagher Girl Liz could take in a fist fight. I looked at Liz, and even _she _rolled her eyes at Anna's hysterics. After all, everyone knows sophomore year is the first time we get to do anything that even approaches actual fieldwork. It's our first exposure to _real _spy stuff, but Anna seemed to be forgetting that the class itself was, sadly, kind of a cakewalk.

"I'm pretty sure we can handle it," Liz soothed, prying the paper from Anna's frail hands. "All Buckingham does is tell horror stories about all the stuff she saw in World War Two and show slides, remember? Ever since she broke her hip she's—"

"But Buckingham is out!" Anna exclaimed, and _this _got my attention.

I'm sure I stared at her for a second or two before saying, "Professor Buckingham is still here, Anna," not adding that I'd spent half the morning coaxing Onyx, her cat, down from the top shelf of the staff library. "That's got to be just a after-break rumor." There were always plenty of those—like how some girl got kidnapped by terrorists, or one of the staff members won a hundred grand on _Wheel of Fortune._ (Though, now that I think of it, that one was actually true.)

"No," Anna said. "You don't understand. Buckingham's doing some kind of semiretirement thing. She's going to do orientation and acclimation for the newbies—but that's it. She's not teaching anymore."

"In the middle of the year?" Liz asked. "But the newbies are all settled in. Why now?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know."

All our heads turned towards the staff table. Sure enough, there was an extra chair.

"Then who's teaching CoveOps?" I asked.

Just then a loud murmur rippled through the enormous room as Rachel strolled through the doors at the back of the hall, followed by all the usual suspects—the twenty teachers I'd been looking at and learning from for the past three years. Twenty teachers. Twenty-one chairs. I know I'm the genius, but you do the math.

Liz, Anna, and I all looked at each other, then back at the staff table as we ran through the faces, trying to comprehend that extra chair.

One face _was _new, but we were expecting that, because Professor Smith always returns from any vacation we had with a whole new look—literally. His nose was larger, his ears more prominent, and a small mole had been added to his left temple, disguising what he claimed with the most wanted face on three continents. Rumor has it he's wanted by gun smugglers in the Middle East, ex-KGB hit men in Eastern Europe, and a very upset ex-wife somewhere in Brazil. Sure, all this experience makes him a great Countries of the World (COW) professor, but the best thing Professor Smith brings to the Gallagher Academy is the annual anticipation of guessing what face he will assume in order to enjoy his break. He hasn't come back as a woman yet, but it's probably just a matter of time.

I waved shortly at Madam Dabney, the only person currently at Gallagher who knew my real identity. She nodded back, a small smile playing on her lips, her eyes revealing a little of her concern. She seemed to know exactly how difficult my winter break had been just by glancing at me. I knew she'd pull the tale from me later.

The teachers took their seats, but _the chair _stayed empty as Rachel took her place at the podium in the center of the long head table.

"Women of the Gallagher Academy, who comes here?" she asked.

Just then, every girl at every table stood and said in unison, "We are the sisters of Gillian."

"Why do you come?" Rachel asked.

"To learn her skills. Honor her sword. And keep her secrets."

"To what end do you work?"

"To the cause of justice and light."

"How long will you strive?"

"For all the days of our lives." We finished, and I felt like my break was finally over.

We sat down, but Rachel Morgan remained standing. "Welcome back, students," she said, beaming. "This is going to be a wonderful second semester at the Gallagher Academy. I would just like to say, this semester _will _mark many changes." She glanced at her colleagues and seemed to ponder something before turning back to face us. "We have come to a time when—" But before she could finish, the door flew open, and not even two and a half years of training at spy school prepared me for what I saw.

It was the man. The gunman from earlier, the one who rescued me from those kidnappers only to point a gun in my face. The one who insisted I knew about Mathew Morgan. A man so terrifying, he could stop to trained, soulless spies in an SUV in their tracks. Only this time, instead of an AK-47, he wore a leather jacket, with more scruff on his face then last I saw him, walking to where Rachel—Mathew's wife—stood and then winked at her.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he slid into the empty chair.

His presence was so unprecedented, so frightening for me, that I didn't even realize Bex had squeezed onto the bench between Liz and Anna, and I had I not been so unbelievably terrified in that moment, I would have questioned her on why she was late.

"Trouble, ladies?" she asked.

"Where have you been?" Liz demanded.

"Forget that," Anna cut in. "Who is _he?_"

But Bex was a natural-born spy. She just raised her eyebrows and said, "You'll see."

* * *

"You have a good holiday, then?" Throughout the hall, girls were beginning to eat, but Bex just blew a bubble with her gum and grinned, daring us to ask her for the story.

"Bex, if you know something, you've got to tell us," Liz demanded, even though it was totally pointless. _No one _can make Bex do _anything _she doesn't want to do. I may be the daughter of Poseidon, Lord of stubbornness, but Bex has even me beat.

She smirked. "New teacher," she said. "We gave him a ride from London this morning. He's an old pal of my father's."

_Oh gods… Maybe—maybe he was one of the good guys? But pointing a gun at fourteen year old didn't seem like good guy behavior._

"Name?" Liz asked, probably already planning how she was going to hack into the CIA headquarters at Langley for details as soon as we were free to go back to our rooms.

"Solomon," Bex said, eying us. "Joe Solomon." She sounded eerily like the black, teenage, female James Bond.

I turned to look at this _Joe Solomon, _only to find him looking back at me. Our eyes met, and they looked just as angry and murderous as when we had first met. I quickly looked down, almost unable to breath.

This was going to be one long semester.

* * *

After dinner, Bex, Liz and I started walking back towards our dorm room. Liz suddenly remembered she had a paper to turn in to Mr. Moscowitz's (yeah, she's _that _girl) and ran off, leaving me along with Bex.

"I'm mad at you, just so you know," my British best friend told me loftily.

"Mad? At me?" I squawked. "Why?"

"You're unreachable, all month, except for five minutes," she said, "and in those _five minutes _you ask me for an unreasonable favor that got me grounded for all of break!"

"…Are you talking about the dam?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not like we talked about anything else in the last month. My parents were furious. I had to stay at the _hotel _while they were on their mission."

"Not that you actually stayed there."

"Well, of course not, but that's not the point! The point is, you're horrible at communication, and you're insane, and I need to reconsider who I want as my best friend!"

I stared down at my toes in shame. "I'm really sorry, Bex, I was really busy—"

"With _what!"_ she exclaimed, spinning on me. "What on earth were you busy with? Every time you're out of school you're busy. But you never say what keeps you so busy. I'm starting to get really worried, Cam, and I don't like this. This _secrecy. _It's like you don't trust me!"

"I do," I assured her. "It's just…it's complicated."

Her face turned red with anger. "I get that answer much too often, Cammie. I'm getting tired of those words. _'It's complicated'_" She scoffed. "I feel it's _uncomplicated, _and you just don't feel like taking the time to explain it."

"Bex—"

"Cameron Morgan!" At the sound of my false name, both me and Bex turned around to face Professor Buckngham. She was rushing down the hall, and I couldn't imagine what would make the genteel British lady speak in such a way, when, above us, a red light began to whirl, and a screaming buzzer pierced our ears so that we could barely hear the cries of the electronic voice that pulsed with the light, "CODE RED. CODE RED. CODE RED."

"Cameron Morgan!" Buckingham bellowed again, grabbing Bex and me by our arms. "The Headmistress needs to see you. NOW!"

* * *

Instantly, the corridors went from empty to overflowing as girls ran and staff members hurried and the red lights continued to pulse off and on.

A shelf of trophies spun around, sending the plaques and ribbons commemorating winners in the annual hand-to-hand combat and team code-breaking competitions to the hidden compartment behind the wall, leaving a row of awards from swim meets and debate contests in its place.

Above us, in the upper story of the foyer, three gold-and-burgundy _Learn Her Skills, Honor Her Sword, _and _Keep her Secrets _banners rolled miraculously up and were replaced by handmade posters supporting someone named Emily for student council president.

Buckingham dragged Bes and me up the sweeping staircase as a flock of newbies ran down, screeching at the top of their lung. I remembered what those sirens had sounded like the first time I'd heard them. It was no wonder the girls were acting like it was the end of the world. Buckingham yelled, "Girls!" and silenced them. "Follow Madame Dabney. She's going to take you to the stables for the afternoon. And ladies"—she snapped at a pair of dark-haired twins who seemed to be especially frantic—"composure!"

And then Buckingham whirled and raced up the staircase to the second-story landing, where Mr. Mosckowitz and Mr. Smith were trying to wheel a statue of Eleanor Everett (the Gallagher girl who had once disabled a bomb in the White House with her teeth) into a broom closet. We swept through the Hall of History, where Gillian's sword slid smoothly into the Vault beneath its case like Excalibur returning to the Lady of the Lake, and was replaced by a bust of a man with enormous ears who was supposedly the school's first headmaster.

The entire school was in a state of organized chaos. Bex and I shared a questioning look, because we were supposed to be downstairs, helping the other sophomores check the main level for anything spy-related that someone might have left lying around, but Buckingham turned and snapped, "Girls hurry!" She sounded less like the soft, elderly teacher we knew, and more like the woman who had single-handedly taken out a Nazi machine gun on D-day.

The first thought that came to mind was that I had been found out, probably by this _Joe Solomon_ making winky eyes at Rachel, and was going to be taken away to some remote prison in the middle of some secret desert (they exist) where no one will ever be able to find me, let alone get me out. But at the end of the Hall of History, I saw Rachel leaning against the double doors of her office, dropping and M&amp;M into her mouth as calmly as if she were waiting for a movie to start, acting like it was just an ordinary day. Not the day the young girl you had treated like a daughter was going to be turned in for being a big fat liar.

"Hey, Cam, Rebecca," she said before turning to Buckingham. "Thanks for bringing them, Patricia. Come inside a sec."

Inside her office, thanks to its soundproofed walls, the mayhem of the rest of the school completely faded away. Lights streamed through leaded windows and flashed upon mahogany paneling and floor-to-ceiling bookcases that were, even as we spoke, spinning around to hide tomes like _Poisons Through the Ages _and _A Praetorian's Guide to an Honorable Death, _replacing them with a flip side of volumes like _Educating the Upper Echelon _and _Private Education Monthly. _There was a photo on her desk of her and Mathew Morgan in Russia, and I watched in awe as the background of the Kremlin was replaced by Cinderella's Castle at Disney World.

"Holographic, radio-synthesized photo paper," Rachel said, when she saw my gaping mouth. "Dr. Fibs whipped up a batch in his lab over the summer. Hungry?" She held her cupped hand toward Bex and me. I took a few blue ones on instinct.

"Girls, I need you to do a tour."

"But…we're sophomores!" Bex exclaimed, as if Rachel had forgotten.

Rachel's mouth was full of chocolate, so Buckingham explained, "The juniors are beginning their semester with interrogation tactics, so they are all under the influence of sodium pentothal at the moment, and the seniors are being fitted with their night-vision contacts, and they won't un-dilate for at least two hours. This is most unfortunate timing, but Code Reds are such for a reason. We don't know when they'll happen and, well, one is happening now."

"What do you say?" Rachel asked, smiling. "Can you help us out?"

* * *

There are three things a person has to be before they show up uninvited on the doorstep of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women: persistent, powerful, and completely out of other options. After all, most potential students never make it past the "We are not accepting applications at this time" speech they get whenever they call or write; you have to be turned down by every prep school in the country before you actually drive all the way to Roseville, hoping that an in-person visit will change our minds. But no amount of persistence or desperation can get you through the gates. No, for that, it takes real power.

That's why Bex and I were standing on the front steps, waiting on the black stretch limousine that carried the McHenry family (yes, _those _McHenrys—the ones on the cover of last December's _Newsweek_) to drive down the winding line. They were the kind of people who aren't easily turned away, and we learned a long time ago that the best place to hide is in plain sight, so Bex and I were there to welcome them to Gallagher Academy for exceptional Youth Women. Our mission: make sure they never how just _how _exceptional we really are.

The man who stepped out of the limo wore a charcoal gray suit jacket and power tie; the woman looked like the cosmetics heiress she was-not a hair or lash out of place. All I could do was think about how she must have come out of the Aphrodite cabin.

"Senator," Bex said, extending her hand toward the man, sounding as American as apple pie and loving the charade. "Welcome to the Gallagher Academy. It's an honor to have you with us today." I thought she was laying it on a little thick until Senator McHenry smiled and said, "Thank you. It's wonderful to be here," as if he didn't realize she couldn't vote.

"I'm Rebecca," Bex said. "This is Cameron." The senator glanced at me then looked quickly back to Bex, who looked like a picture-perfect model of an elite education. "We're happy to show you and…" And that's when Bex and I both realized that their daughter hadn't appeared. "Is your daughter going to be…"

But just then, a black combat boot emerged from the limousine.

"Darling," the senator said, pointing toward the stables, "come look. They have horses."

"Oh, is _that _what I smell?" Mrs. McHenry said with a shudder. (For the record, our school smells just fine, unless of course your smelling ability has been irreparably damaged by a lifetime of sniffing perfume samples."

But the senator glared at his wife and said, "Macey loves horses."

"No, Macey _hates _horses," Mrs. McHenry said, narrowing her eyes and glancing toward Bex and me as if to remind the senator not to contradict her in front of the help. "She fell of one and broke her arm."

I was thinking about disrupting this little display of domestic bliss to tell them both that there weren't any horses in the stables—just freaked-out seventh graders and a former French spy who had invented a way of sending coded messages in cheese, when a voice said, "They, they make great glue."

Now, I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure Macey McHenry had never touched a horse in her life. Her legs were long and athletic; her clothes, though punk and rebellious, were definitely high-end and the diamond in her nose was at least a carat and a half. Her hair might have been stark black and bluntly cut, but it was also thick and shiny, and it framed a face that belonged on the cover of a magazine. In all honesty, she reminded me of Thalia, only more uptight and less daughter of Zeus.

I've seen enough TV and movies to know that if a girl like Macey McHenry can't survive high school, then someone like me would probably get eaten alive (my chances being a little more literal). And yet, something had driven her to our gates—making us her last resort. Or so her parents thought.

"We're really happy to have you here," I said, trying not to sound too stiff. I'd seen her kind before. Rich, with powerful parents, no plans on working after high school. Her facial expression told it all. She thought this was a waste of time, making me giving her a tour of the school a waste of my time.

"Then why did you keep us sitting," Mrs. McHenry cocked her head toward the iron gates—"out there for over and hour?"

"I'm afraid that's standard protocol for people who come without appointments," Bex said in her most honor-student-y voice. "Security is a top concern here at Gallagher Academy. If your daughter were to go here, you could expect that same level of protection."

But Mrs. McHenry's hands were on her hips when she snapped, "Don't you know who he is? Do you know—"

"We were on our way back to D.C.," the senator stepped in, cutting his wife off. "And we just couldn't resist bringing Macey by for a visit." He sent his wife a _this is our last chance, don't blow it _look as he added, "And the security is more impressive."

Bex opened the front doors and welcomed them inside, but all I could do was watch them go and think, _Senator, you have no idea._

* * *

Bex and I got to sit in Rachel's office as she went through her standard speech about the school's "history". Really, it's not all that different from the truth, just _abridged. _A lot.

"We have graduates working all over the world," Headmistress Morgan said, and I thought, _Yeah, as spies. _"We focus on languages, math, science, and culture. Those are the things our graduates tell us they've needed the most in their lives." _As spies. _"By admitting only young women, our students develop a sense of empowerment, which enables them to be highly successful." _As spies._

I was just starting to enjoy my little game, when Rachel turned to Bex and said, "Rebecca, why don't you and Cammie show Macey around?" and I knew it was showtime.

Bex glowed, but all I could do was think about how this could all go wrong. I mean, I'm a great liar, but this Macey girl was certainly no different from Nancy Bobofit, and I couldn't guarantee that I wasn't going to hit her. Thankfully, Bex just likes to act. Period. So I could leave most the work to her.

"Senator," Bex said, gripping his hand, "it was an _honor _meeting you, sir. And you, too, ma'am." She smiled at Mrs. McHenry. "So glad that you both—"

"_Thank you_, Rebecca," Rachel cut Bex off with her don't overdo-it voice.

Macey stood and, with a flurry of her ultra-miniskirt, was through the door and into the Hall of History without even a glance at her parents.

Macey was leaning against a cabinet that normally chronicled the history of the gas mask (a device on which the Gallagher Academy holds the patent, thank you very much), lighting up a cigarette, when we caught up. She took a long confident drag and then blew smoke toward a ceiling that probably held a dozen different kinds of sensors, the least of which was for smoke.

"You've got to put that out," Bex said, entering the make-sure-she-knows-she'd-be-miserable-here phase of the operation. "At the Gallagher Academy, we value personal health and safety."

Macey looked at Bex as if she'd been speaking Chinese. I had to think for a moment to make sure she hadn't.

"No smoking," I translated as I pulled an empty aluminum can from a recycling bin at the top of the stairs and held it toward her.

She took another drag and then looked at me as if to say she'd stub out her cigarette when I forced her. Which I could, and most certainly did, snatching it quicker then she'd be able to pull away.

"Excuse you?!" she hissed.

"Sorry," I shrugged, not at all sorry. "Rules apply to everyone in the building. Even guests."

Not to mention it gave me a great deal of satisfaction to rip it out of her hands. Bex and I started to lead her down the stairs as a wave of girls pushed past us.

"It's lunchtime," I explained, realized that the blue M&amp;M's I stole just weren't enough. "We can go eat if you want—"

"I don't _think _so!" Macey cried with a roll of her eyes.

But stupid me jumped to say, "Really, the food here is great," which totally didn't serve our mission objective, since gross food is usually a pretty good turnoff. But our chef is amazing. He actually worked in the White House before this incident involving Fluffy (the First Poodle), a gastronomical chemical agent, and some very questionable cheese. Luckily, a Gallagher Girl saved poor Fluffy's live, so to show his appreciation, Chef Louis came to us and brought his awesome crème brulee with him.

I started to mention the crème brulee, but then Macey exclaimed, "_I _eat eight hundred calories a day."

Bex and I looked at each other, amazed. We probably burned that many calories during one session of P&amp;E (Protection and Enforcement) class.

Macey studies us skeptically, then added, "Food is _so yesterday._"

We reached the foyer, and I said, "This is the Grand Hall," because that sounded like a school tour-y thing to say, but Macey acted like I wasn't even there as she turned to Bex (her physical equal) and said, "So _everyone _wears those uniforms?"

I found this to be particularly offensive, having been on the uniform selection committee, but Bex just fingered her knee-length navy plaid skirt and matching white blouse and said, "We even wear them during gym class." Good one, I thought, taking in the horror on Macey's face as Bex stepped toward the east corridor and said, "Here we have the library—"

But Macey was heading down another hallway. "What's down here?" And just like that she was gone, passing classrooms and hidden passageways with every step. Bex and I jogged to keep up with her, throwing out pieces of made-up trivia like 'That painting was a gift from the Duke of Edinburgh' or 'Oh, yes, the Wizenhouse Memorial chandelier", or my personal favorite, 'This is the Washington memorial Chalkboard.' (It really is a nice chalkboard.)

Bex was in the middle of a pretty believable story about how, if a girl gets a perfect score on her test, she's allowed to watch one whole hour of television that week, when Macey plopped down in one of my favorite window seats, pulled out a cell phone, and proceeded to make a call right in front of us without so much as an excuse me. The joke was on her though, since, after dialing in the number, she had the device out in front of her in bewilderment.

Bex and I glanced at each other, and then I tried to sound all sympathetic as I said, "Yeah, cell phones don't work here." _TRUE._

"We're too far from a tower," Bex added. _FALSE. _We'd actually have great cell reception if it weren't for the monster jammer that blocks any and all foreign transmissions from campus, but Macey McHenry and her Capitol Hill father certainly didn't need to know that.

"No cell phones?" Macey said as if we'd just told her all students were required to shave their heads and live on bread and water. "That's it. I'm _so _out of here." And then she turned and stormed back towards the Headmistress's office.

At least she _thought _that was the way to her office. She was nearing the doors that lead down to the Research and Development department in the basement. I was pretty sure Dr. Fibs would have everything in Code Red form, but in the tradition of mad scientist everywhere, Dr. Fibs had a tendency to be a little, shall we say, accident prone. Sure enough, as we turned the corner, we saw Mr. Mosckowitz, who happens to be the world's foremost authority on data encryption, but he didn't look like a mega-genius just then. No. He looked like the resident alcoholic. His eyes were bloodshot and watering, his face was pale, and he was totally stumbling and slurring his words as he said, "_Hello!"_

Macey stared at him in disgust, which was actually a good thing, because that way she didn't notice the thick fog of purple smoke that was seeping beneath the stairwell doors behind him. Professor Buckingham was shoving towels in the cracks, but every time she got near the purple fog she'd start sneezing uncontrollably. She kicked the towel with her foot. Dr. Fibs appeared with a roll of duct tape and started trying to seal the cracks around the doors. (How's that for superspy technology?)

Mr. Mosckowitz kept swaying back and forth, maybe because the purple stuff had messed with his sense of balance or maybe because he was trying to block Macey's view, which would have been tough, considering he can't be an inch taller than five foot five. He said, "I understand you're a potential student."

But just then, Dr. Fib's tall, lanky frame crashed onto the floor. He was out cold, and the purple smoke was getting thicker.

Bex and I looked at each other. _This is seriously _NOT GOOD!

Buckingham hauled Dr. Fibs into a teacher's chair and started rolling him away, but I didn't have a clue what to do. Bex grabbed Macey's arm. "Come on, Macey. I know a short—"

But Macey only wrenched her arm out of Bex's grasp and said, "Don't touch me, b—" (Yeah, that's right, she called Bex the B word.)

Bex stepped forward, shaking off her happy schoolgirl persona and putting on her superspy face.

This is SERIOUSLY not good, I thought again, just as a white shirt and khaki pants appeared in my peripheral vision.

"Hello."

I stopped breathing, stopped pumping blood through my veins, stopped _everything _the moment I heard that voice. I did look up, just to make sure, and yep, Joe Solomon was standing right there, smiling at Macey. And she was staring, convincing me that he might be one of the more gorgeous mortal men to ever live. (I won't put him on the same spectrum as gods. I mean, have you _seen _Apollo?)

"Welcome to the Gallagher Academy. I hope you're considering joining us," he said. "Are you enjoying your tour?" Macey just batted her eyelashes and went all seductive in a way that didn't go with her combat boots.

Maybe it was the cloud of purple smoke wafting toward me, but I thought I might barf. Or maybe it was because a man who had tried to kill me this winter was standing two feet away. Or just the flirting. Or all three. Probably all three.

"Do you have a second?" Mr. Solomon asked, but didn't wait for her to respond before he said, "There's something on the second floor I'd love to show you."

He pointed her toward a circular stone staircase that had once been a fixture in the Gallagher family chapel. Stained-glass windows stood two stories tall and colored the light that landed on Mr. Solomon's white shirt as we climbed. When we reached the second floor, he held his arms out at the grand, high-ceilinged corridor that was awash in a kaleidoscope of color.

He finished the tour for us, walking us back to Rachel's office. There were probably other words being said, but I kept spacing out, to focused on making sure this guy wasn't going to wheel on me and stick a knife in my throat or something.

_Are you okay? _Percy's voice said in my head. _You feel stressed._

I forced myself to calm down, suddenly able to make out that Mr. Solomon had started walking away, and Bex and Macey were getting at it with each other (something about the hot new teacher being a distraction.).

_I'm okay, _I told him. _I trying to unwind after all the stress from break. I'll be alright._

_I don't believe you._

_Trust me when I say I'll be fine. I just need to process._

I didn't hear back from him, but I could feel his acceptance to my last statement.

I was getting much better at lying.

* * *

It was only a day later I had my first CoveOp's lesson with the man who tried to kill me, and learned the girls and I were to have a new roommate.

I could feel the gods laughing at me. As if my life couldn't get any more difficult.

* * *

**So that's the last chapter. I'll have another chapter to alert you when the next instalment is up and ready to go, but as usual I'll be taking a fairly long break to get that ready and to work on other projects. I will try and keep up with the one-shots series (that's going to get renamed soon, so watch out!) which will deal with the first and second books in the Gallagher Girl's series. So watch out for that! If there are any parts in these two books that you really loved and want me to rewrite for the one-shot series, put in requests soon, via comments or PM!**

**Now for thank you's! (for the last couple of chapter's reviews)**

**Engineer4Ever: **Thank you for the constant love and support. I would not have made it so far without you. Everyone give them some love because they are literally the best!

**Guest1234567890: **I cried when Zoe died too. I'm pretty sure everyone did, you are not alone. I really did grow fond of her.

**FireGoddess101**: I'm glad you like how I'm going about this story! I'm always second guessing if it's even worth it because of how close to the books it is, but it's nice to know someone enjoys that.

**Lalaland**: I know! Zachhhhhhhhhh! Just so everyone knows, I've been planning on him making some cameo appearances in the next instalment, because _Zach._

**Drama1211: **Last update for a while, I'm sorry :( I hope you say with for a couple of months while I regain my sanity.

**Okay, everyone, I love you all, and I will be back! see you all soon my nerdletts.**

**-DJRocks out **


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